It's Like Magic
by xxCelientje
Summary: Muggle AU where Hermione lives next door to the Potters and gets a job at Black's Repair Shop. The Slytherins are regular customers and Hermione can't help but fall for a certain blond member of the gang. DRAMIONE.
1. Chapter 1: The Job Offer

**This is my first HP fanfic (besides my other one that's still offline) and my 2nd fanfic written in English. As it's not my mother language I apologize in advance for any mistakes, I don't have a beta. I will likely update the story once a week, probably every Sunday or Monday.  
This story is a muggle AU, which means none of my character have magical abilities. The Slytherin gang is lightly based on The Serpents from Riverdale.  
Enjoy the story guys, please let me know what you think :)**

* * *

'Gosh Harry your godfather is so damn hot, why does he have to work on his motorcycle without a shirt on?' Ginny complained to her boyfriend.

Harry made a face at his girlfriend and put his hand in front of her gazing eyes. 'Stop staring at him like you want to eat him or undress him with your eyes, I'm your boyfriend remember so stare at me instead,' he murmured.

Hermione followed Ginny's gaze and she had to admit the redhead was right. Sirius looked damn good without a shirt. His arms were huge, his abs seemed to glow in the sun and his messy hair and many tattoos made the man even more easy on the eyes.

'She's right though, Sirius is hot,' Hermione agreed, smirking when Harry's eyes snapped to hers.

'Mione! He's too old for you and don't encourage Ginny please,' he hissed, slowly getting annoyed with the girls.

'If you take of your shirt and get all sweaty while working on a motorcycle I'd stare at you even hungrier,' Ginny confessed teasingly, winking at Hermione.

'You know what, maybe I will. I'll go see if Sirius needs help,' Harry said, already getting up from the blanket the couple sat on.

It was a beautiful Summer day and Hermione, Ginny and Harry were enjoying the sun in The Potters garden. Sirius had arrived twenty minutes ago to fix up James his old bike

Lily, Harry's mother, who was busy plucking several fruits from her raspberries and blueberries bushes, chuckled at her son. She had followed the conversation with amusement, totally agreeing with the girls.

'Calm down love, don't you see they're teasing you,' she called to Harry as she adjusted the sun hat she was wearing.

Harry stopped for a second to look at the three woman with narrowed eyes and then stubbornly continued to walk over to where Sirius was working. The man greeted his godson cheerfully and immediately handed him one of his tools. Harry stared at it with big eyes and both Hermione and Ginny couldn't help but laugh, he looked so helpless.

'I guess I have some making up to do tonight,' Ginny grinned as she watched her boyfriend struggle to try and impress her.

Hermione laughed and sipped her cold lemonade, not really asking for more details. They used to talk about everything, but it just got weird when Ginny started to date her best friend and Hermione had no love life to talk about. She had tried to date, but she just never got that spark or the butterflies all the other girls always talked about. Kissing had never felt special or particularly good and the one time she had sex was horrible. Sometimes Hermione wondered if she might be asexual, but when she had talked about it with Ginny and Luna, both girls had convinced her that she hadn't felt that way because those guys just weren't it for her.

Ginny interrupted Hermione's thoughts by nudging her with her elbow.

'What do you think, shall we make some lunch for the hard workers? Maybe some pasta salad, that's always good on a hot day,' she suggested.

Hermione smiled at the girl. 'Already starting to make up are you, I know your recipe is Harry's favourite,' she teased as she jumped up and offered Ginny a hand.

As predicted the salad was a hit, even Sirius liked it and Hermione knew he was picky when it came to everything that was and looked green. Harry had clearly forgiven Ginny , the two sat very close to each other and Ginny kept giggling whenever Harry leant closer to whisper something in her ear. Hermione smiled at the couple, she loved them too much to feel jealous, but sometimes she wished she had someone to love as well.

After lunch Hermione joined Sirius in the garden. The two love birds who she called her best friends, had gone one a romantic stroll and the older Black had asked for some help.

'You seem to know what you're talking about little one,' Sirius said surprised, when the girl had pointed out another problem to him, one he hadn't seen yet.

Hermione smiled and got her hair out of her face by making a messy ponytail, preparing herself to show Sirius just how right he was. She took one of the tools out of the big black box with the Black Repair Shop logo on it, and went to work. Her father had always loved fixing up motorcycles and cars, and in the twenty years she had lived he had fixed over a thousand of them. When she was little she used to watch him, but when she got older she had wanted to help and he thought her everything he knew. The both of them continued to fix up cars and motorcycles in their free time, but a few months ago it all stopped when the Granger family got the horrible news of her father being sick. Richard Granger was still fighting for his life, but he was strong and the treatments seemed to be working.

'Djeez Hermione I always knew you were smart, but I never expected this,' Sirius murmured when almost an hour later Hermione started up James his motorcycle, all fixed up.

'Thanks for letting me help Sirius, I hadn't realise how much I missed fixing up bikes,' Hermione said, grinning at the man.

'I should be the one thanking you Mione, you helped me big time and I'm not sure if I would have finished it today without you,' Sirius said, smiling back at her.

The two of them took turns riding the bike for a small test round, and when both of them were satisfied with the results they walked back to the house side by side. Just before they entered, Sirius halted and grabbed Hermione's shoulder to stop her as well.

'Do you have a job Mione?' he asked, brows furrowed as if he was thinking too hard.

Hermione looked up at him in question. 'Uh well, I have my job at the bookstore but that's only a few hours so I can combine it with collage,' she answered slowly, wondering why he was asking.

Sirius his face lit up. 'But it's summer break right, so you have loads of free time?'

'Yes, I guess so. Why? Are you offering me a job?' Hermione joked, still not knowing why he asked.

When Sirius nodded her mouth fell open.

'Wait really?' she asked excitedly, she would love to work in the shop as summer job. _Why hadn't she ever thought of that before?_

'Regulus and I have been talking about hiring an extra hand, we need someone who can jump in at the shop when needed. But, we also need someone to do our administration. So if you're interested?' he asked hopefully. They could really use someone like Hermione on their team.

Hermione thought about it for a while. A part of her wanted to take it immediately, but she wasn't one to jump at something without thinking it through.

'I'm interested, but can I think about it?' Hermione asked.

Sirius smiled at her and nodded. 'Sure, let me know what you decided by the end of the week? Otherwise I'll have to continue my search. You'd be perfect for it though.'

'I'm flattered Sirius, and I can already tell you that I'm really considering it. But, don't you have to talk to Regulus about it first?' Hermione questioned as she pushed the backdoor open to get inside the Potter's house.

'Nah, I'm the oldest and I'm the boss,' Sirius smirked.

Hermione chuckled and filled a glass with Lily's self made lemonade and handed it to the man before taking a glass of her own. The Potters were as family to Hermione and their home was as good as hers. When she was five years old, she and her parents had moved next door and Hermione and Harry got close friends rather soon. They did everything together and there was a time when everyone thought the two of them would end up together. Both Harry and Hermione never agreed since they only felt brotherly and sisterly love for each other.

'Oh there you two are, I was wondering when you would give up on James his dead machine,' Lily said smiling, as she walked into the kitchen.

Sirius barked out a laugh and wrapped his arm around Hermione's shoulder.

'We haven't given up Lils, this girl here helped me fix it,' he said proudly.

Hermione felt her cheeks heat up when Harry and Ginny came in as well, just in time for them to hear what Sirius had said. They both smiled at her and when Sirius told them about his job offer, Ginny even cheered.

'That's perfect for you Hermione! Way better than your boring job at the bookstore,' she grinned.

'Hey! I love that job,' Hermione pouted, knowing that Ginny was right anyway. She did love the job as she loved books, but after a few years it was probably time for something new.

* * *

The next day Hermione and Ginny met up with their friend Luna at their favourite café across from their go to pub; The Three Broomsticks. They were supposed to go out there Friday night with all their friends and Hermione was actually excited about that. She wasn't much of an party person, but she did enjoy some drinks with her favourite people on earth.

'You look awfully happy Luna, anything you need to tell us?' Ginny teased the blonde who indeed looked very happy.

Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes twinkled and she had this amazing smile plastered on her face that made Hermione want to smile as well.

'I am happy, do you remember Theodore Nott?' Luna asked, her smile getting even bigger.

Hermione's jaw dropped. 'No way? Theo? The boy you crushed on for years? You two have been dancing around each other ages.'

'Not anymore, we went on a couple dates and yesterday he asked me to be his girlfriend,' Luna said proudly, sitting up straighter in her chair.

Ginny squealed and threw her arms around her friend. 'So that's who you've been seeing in secret, I knew it,' the redhead smirked when she released the blonde.

'I'm happy for you Luna,' Hermione smiled. 'When do we get to meet him?'

Luna sipped her coffee before answering. 'I hope you don't mind, but I invited him to come with me to The Three Broomsticks on Friday.'

'Of course we don't mind,' Hermione and Ginny said at the same time.

This made all three girls giggle.

'Isn't he in some kind of gang?' Ginny asked Luna carefully, when their second latté's arrived.

Hermione frowned at that, she had heard something about that too. Harry's dad James, worked as an undercover cop and she was almost sure he had come home one day for dinner with a story about this gang. She remembered him telling them that there were kid's their age in this gang, following in their father's footsteps. She just couldn't remember the name.

'Yes, they're called The Slytherins,' Luna said calmly as if it was no big deal.

That was it! Slytherin. Hermione remembered now how James had described how all members wore this leather jacket with a serpent on the back. Also according to his co-worker all the loyal members had a tattoo on their wrist with that same serpent. He hadn't told them much more, besides to try and avoid them if they ever came across them.

'That doesn't worry you? That you're future husband might be a criminal?' Ginny asked baldly.

Luna laughed. 'Our relationship has just started Ginny, no wedding bells yet so calm down.'

Hermione noticed how she avoided part of the question. Was he a criminal? If he wasn't, he was probably surrounded by them or he just wasn't one yet. There was of course the chance that Slytherin was just a biker gang, nothing too criminal.

Ginny decided to drop the gang subject and started asking for more details about the dates Luna had. The girls spend another two hours at the café, before Luna had to head home to help her dad.

'You want to go home too or..?' Ginny asked Hermione when they had said goodbye to their blonde friend.

'Well,' Hermione started as she thought for a bit. 'I was thinking on stepping by Black's Repair Shop, I want to see where I get to work before I say yes.'

'You haven't been there before? I'll come with you then, Regulus isn't really fond of strangers in his shop,' Ginny said, linking arms with her friend and heading of in the direction of the shop.

'Relax Gin, of course I've been there before. I've just never seen the office and since I'll be doing their paperwork as well, I want to see if I can tell Sirius that I have some conditions for him before I say yes. I need a good workplace,' Hermione grinned.

Ginny fake gasped. 'You, Hermione Granger, are going to blackmail Sirius into changing the office so you'll work for him? How evil, I'm proud of you.'

Hermione chuckled. 'I know how messy Sirius can be and you know how much I hate mess.'

When the girls arrived at the shop just out of Diagon Alley, they were happily greeted by Padfoot. The big black dog walked around them in circles before pressing his head against Hermione's leg, waiting to be petted.

'Hello boy, good to see you again.' Hermione greeted the dog.

Padfoot followed them inside and barked a few times to let his owner know someone was there. Hermione didn't know if Sirius trained his dog that way, or if he was just that smart. The shop looked the same as when Hermione had last been there and her hands immediately got itchy when she saw how much cleaning the place could use. There was a rack with tires next to the counter that was covered in dust and the floor was full of black footprints. The counter itself didn't look very clean either and the desk behind it was covered in papers. Hermione cringed at how unorganized everything was. While waiting, the girls walked through the shop. They did have a lot of stuff, everything you could need when owning a motorcycle or car. Hermione was actually impressed, but she hated the way they showcased everything. She just knew that if she could chance just a few things, they would sell even more than they already did.

'What's taking them so long,' Ginny groaned, when it had been twenty minutes already.

Hermione shrugged and tried to look through the dirty window behind the counter. It looked into the workplace and she could see some figures, but they stood to far away for her to see clearly if Sirius was there too. Padfoot sat down at her feet and whined softly. Hermione looked down at the dog and patted his head.

Just as Hermione was planning on asking Ginny to get into the workplace together, the figures behind the glass started moving. Padfoot dribbled away from her to wait at the door for his owner. The door between the two spaces flew open and almost hit the dog.

Hermione yelped and glared at the first person who came walking through.

'Can't you watch it, you almost hit Padfoot,' she snapped, feeling defensive for the dog's sake.

The young man looked at her in surprise, his grey eyes scanning her from the top of her curly head till her toes covered in white converse all stars. His lips curled up in a grin and he raised his blonde eyebrows at her.

'I'm very sorry princess, it wasn't my intention to hurt Black's dog,' he said, stepping a little closer to her.

He was taller than her so she stubbornly stared up to him, seeing the amusement in his eyes. She narrowed her eyes at him and stabbed her finger against his chest.

'You think this is funny? I-' she got interrupted by Ginny pulling on her arm.

Hermione was about to glare at the girl when she noticed the shop was now filled up with man. They all wore a leather jacket with a little serpent on their chest. She looked back at the young man in front of her and noticed he was wearing a jacket too. His hair was almost platinum blonde and he looked at her curiously.

Slytherins.

Crap.

When Hermione opened her mouth to continue her sentence, Sirius walked through the door and with one look at Hermione he stalked towards her and the blonde guy.

'Malfoy,' he barked.

The blonde held up his hand to Sirius and took two steps back from Hermione.

'Calm down Black, I didn't touch your bird. She's feisty though, I like it' he smirked.

Hermione's jaw dropped.

'Excuse you? I'm not his bird and you almost hurt an animal you git, stop smirking and-' she was stopped again by Sirius his stern look.

Hermione closed her mouth and gritted her teeth. She then noticed a few other young members standing behind the blonde, all staring at her with an amused grin on their face. One of the older man stepped forward, his hair was platinum blonde as well and Hermione wondered if they were related.

'Come Draco, we're leaving,' he said before turning to Sirius. 'We'll be in touch Black, let your brother know he's expected tonight.'

 _Draco._ Hermione had never heard that name before and she kinda liked the sound of it. She knew it meant Dragon in Latin and she already found it fitting for the guy.

'Bye Princess,' Draco whispered to her when he walked past here and Ginny to the exit.

All the other members followed and soon it was just Hermione, Ginny and Sirius. The latter sighed an rubbed his face with his right hand. The sound of multiple engines being started outside made them all look out of the window, watching the gang leave.

'You girls alright?' Sirius asked when they were out of eye sight.

Hermione and Ginny both nodded. Sirius looked at Hermione and smiled at the girl.

'I knew you were perfect for this job. The Slytherins come here quite often, but I see you can stand your ground. If you get this feisty about Padfoot, I'm sure you can defend yourself as well. I might teach you some self-defence just in case though,' he said, touching Hermione's cheek. 'I would never want you to be in danger, but you must understand that this job won't be as safe as the one you have now.'

Hermione chuckled at the man. 'It almost sounds as if you're trying to talk me out of it Sirius. I'm aware this is going to be different, but I can handle it. I'm a big girl.'

Ginny nodded in agreement.

'Are you saying you'll take the job?' Sirius questioned, grinning at her.

Hermione crossed her arms and pursed her lips. 'Only after I see the office and if I want to change anything, you'll let me.'

Sirius crocked his head to the side and narrowed his eyes at her. 'Only in the office, if you want to change anything in the shop you'll have to ask me or Reg first. We're open for ideas.'

'Agreed. Will you let me clean the shop?' she asked, ignoring Ginny's giggle.

'Er, if you really want to,' Sirius said, his eyes shining with amusement. 'Will you try to avoid Slytherin as much as you can? I don't like the idea of they being around you, they're sneaky little bastards.' Sirius growled the last part which made Ginny giggle again.

Hermione shot her friend a warning look and the redhead immediately pressed her lips together.

'That won't be a problem, I have a feeling I won't like them anyways. Especially that Malfoy boy,' Hermione murmured, thinking back of the blonde with the gorgeous eyes.

Her eyes widened slightly at her thoughts, but neither Sirius or Ginny seemed to notice. She couldn't deny Draco Malfoy was handsome, but she was certain she was never going to like him with that attitude of his.

'Alright, let me show you the office. If you accept my offer I will need a day or two to fix you a contract and chance your workplace the way you want to, and then you'll officially be my employee,' Sirius said, leading the way to the office.

'Sounds good,' Hermione replied.

The office was a mess. As Hermione expected, both desks were overflown with papers and nothing looked organized. The room wasn't small, but it seemed like the Black brothers used their office as bonus storage room. There were bike parts, car tires and multiple tools scattered on the floor and the black couch in the corner was barely visible because of all the laundry on top of it. It also smelled kind of mouldy and Hermione couldn't wait to get her hands dirty on this room.

'How can you even work in this place?' Hermione asked Sirius as she walked, or rather climbed, to the other side of the room to open a window.

Ginny sneezed when the fresh air blew some dust her way. Sirius actually looked ashamed, his cheeks flushed a bit and he looked around the room as if he saw the absolute mess for the first time.

'Reggie mostly works here, I can't focus on the paperwork,' he said, not looking one of the girls in the eyes.

Ginny rolled her eyes and Hermione smiled softly at him, both girls weren't surprised at that. Hermione looked around the room again, it would take her at least a day but she really wanted this job. Her decision was made. She would quit her job at the bookstore and take Sirius her offer, it would be good for her.

'I'll take the job, but only if you let me use my first day to fix this office. You won't do a thing unless I ask you too,' Hermione offered the man, chuckling at his surprised face.

'It's a deal, if you need anything just ask and I will provide it to you,' Sirius beamed happily and Hermione's heart warmed at the sight.

The two shook hands to confirm their deal.

'Welcome to Black's Repair Shop Hermione, we're lucky to have you.'


	2. Chapter 2: His Princess?

**A/N: Wow! Thank you guys so much for all your kind words, faves and follows! I'm over the moon by how well recieved the first chapter was, you guys are awesome!** **I hope you'll like the second chapter just as much :)  
Big thank you to my beta Amanda Quick, she really helped me out big time with making this chapter better.  
Enjoy this chapter guys, please leave a comment with your thoughts and I will see you next week with some new content whooo :) **

* * *

When Helen Granger gotten word of her daughter's new job, she joined heads with Lily Potter to organize a little celebration dinner. They had invited Sirius and Ginny over as well, and the company of eight sat around the table in the Granger's cosy living room. Helen and Lily had outdone themselves with dinner, there was literally something for everyone as the table was stuffed with food. There were chicken wings, roast potatoes, sweet potatoes, multiple vegetables, mini steaks and more. It reminded Hermione of the dinners she had been to at the Weasley home. Molly Weasley always cooked tons of food, not that she had much of a choice with such a big family, but it was always a wonderful and vast array of food.

'To Hermione, let's hope she won't go crazy working with Sirius,' James joked, holding his glass of wine up, ready to clink it with the others.

'Hey!' Sirius huffed. 'To many more bike repairs, a clean office and some good company at the shop,' Sirius added to James his toast. He winked at Hermione and everyone brought their glass together and yelled out a 'cheers!'

'I couldn't be more proud of you Hermione, this is the perfect job for you,' her father Richard said, smiling fondly at his daughter.

Sirius, while seating next to Hermione, draped his arm over her shoulder. 'That's what I've been telling her. You've got a talented girl Richard, she will be a real asset to us.'

'Ever since you offered Hermione the job, you have been kissing her ass. You do realize that she said yes, right?' Ginny chuckled at Sirius.

'I do, but she hasn't started yet and I can't afford for her to change her mind,' he smirked.

Hermione looked at him with raised eyebrows.

'So you're only saying nice things because you want me t- hmpff' Sirius silenced Hermione by pressing his free hand against her mouth.

'Hush now kitten, you know that's not true.'

This time it was Richard Granger who looked at the man with raised eyebrows. 'You're calling my daughter, kitten? You do know that she is way too young for you. You could have been her father,' he said seriously, as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing.

Sirius' face paled. While removing his arm from Hermione's shoulder, he missed the twinkling, teasing look that was in Richard's eyes. Richard knew Sirius cared for his daughter, he also knew that Sirius would flirt and tease in jest with any woman, no matter her age. While looking at his daughter, he could see that she was biting her lip in effort to contain her laughter.

'You- I – Err,' Sirius stuttered, looking for a good comeback.

The table fell quiet which made Sirius even more uncomfortable. He was shifting in his chair looking around at everyone staring at him, he kept opening and closing his mouth as if he were a fish, but no words were coming out. Hermione almost felt sorry for him, she'd never seen him like this. Sirius was always so confident.

'I, uh, I didn't mean it like that Richard, you have, um' he swallowed quickly 'a very beautiful daughter, I don't see her that way. I only call her kitten to tease her, that's all,' Sirius finally said.

Richard grinned mischievously at the uneasy man. 'I was just trolling you Sirius, I didn't think you would freeze like that. It's almost suspicious,' he winked.

Sirius letting out a relieved sound, wrapped his arm back around Hermione saying, "I care a lot about Hermione, but I think about her more like a little sister. A hot little sister, yes, but you don't have to worry about me trying anything,' he smirked, his eyes alight with mischief.

There was the Sirius they all knew. Everyone snickered and went back to their food.

* * *

The next day Hermione went to the shop to sign her contract and get a head start on cleaning both her new office and the shop itself. It was another quite hot summer day and Hermione wore her favourite denim shorts with a simple red tank top. Her hair was pulled back in a messy bun and she had her Ray Ban sunglasses balanced upon her nose.

'Good morning Padfoot,' Hermione greeted the black dog as she walked inside the shop.

Padfoot barked happily and stood up from his spot beside the counter to greet her with a wagging tail. She scratched the dog behind his ear and looked around for either Sirius or Regulus. The latter walked into the shop within seconds, but he wasn't alone. One of the Slytherin man she had seen two days ago, followed right behind him. He had shoulder length greasy black hair and a rather large hooked nose, he looked grumpy and Hermione shivered when his black eyes met hers.

'Oh Hermione, you're here already,' Regulus said, sounding bored, when he spotted her at the counter.

Giving him an awkward smile, Hermione wished to herself that Sirius was already here. She didn't know Regulus very well, but had always had this feeling that he wore a mask around every except perhaps his brother Sirius. The one time she had seen them together, Regulus had looked relaxed, if she dare say happy even. When he was around other people, he wore the look of bored and cold hearted, maybe even grumpy like the man he was conversing with now.

Not wanting Hermione to hear their discussion, Regulus turned the man away and they spoke in hushed tones. While studying both men, she could tell they looked annoyed, but not necessarily at each other.

'Goddamn, I'll kill him one day,' Regulus growled a little too loud and Hermione's eyes widened.

She was saved by Sirius who jogged into the shop with a smile on his face. In his hand he held an envelope with Hermione's name on it and without even looking at his brother and his company, he ushered Hermione into the messy office.

'Are you excited for your first day Kitten?' he asked cheerfully as he closed the door behind them.

Still a little shocked by what she had heard, Hermione nodded, not trusting her voice. Regulus had sounded furious and seeing as how he was a member, she didn't think he was joking, she fully believed it was a real threat. Part of her wondered who caused him to be so angry and why, the other part wondered if they really killed people.

Sirius waved his hand in front of her face. 'Hello, earth to Hermione. Are you okay?'

She quickly nodded, not wanting to worry Sirius. Besides, she would have to learn to handle this kind of talk, since she doubted it would be the last time she heard threats being called out. The shop was a place where the gang members often came and she imagined most of them to be quite ruthless.  
Pushing the thought of the man out of her head, Hermione and Sirius read through the contract and once they finished discussing the final details, Hermione signed on the dotted line.

'So since you're first official work day is tomorrow, here are your keys and your t-shirt, which you are not forced to wear by the way,' Sirius smiled, handing over a bundle of keys and a black T-shirt with the shop logo on it. 'Try to ignore the harsh talk of the members when they're here. Most of it is just big talk, trust me,' he added with a whisper and a wink. It was almost as if he knew what Hermione had heard and she decided he was right, most of them probably had a big mouth but only a small heart.

Before disappearing to the shop, Sirius had shown Hermione where to find the cleaning closet. It held a very old, but reliable washing machine and all of the cleaning supplies. After a mumbled thanks, Sirius chuckled back telling her to call if she needed anything. Hermione didn't even notice as she looked around the office wondering where she would even start. With a sigh she put on the old dusty radio that she had found in a corner and got to work.

After four hours and not having heard a word from Hermione, Sirius brought her lunch. Walking inside the office he was surprised to see that the laundry that was taking over the couch, if you could still call it a couch versus a laundry bin, was neatly cleaned and neatly folded. The papers that had been strewn around the room, covering any and all surfaces, were organized and sorted into colour coordinated folders. Hermione had a ways to go still, but she was making progress.

Smelling the food Hermione looked up from the papers in her hand as her stomach lerched out a rumble. 'You sure know the way to a girl's heart,' she sighed happily as she took the plate from Sirius. 'Damn, that is good,' she moaned after engulfing the first bite like a person who hadn't eaten in days.

'Of course I do kitten. Doesn't mean I will bring you lunch every day though,' Sirius smirked, patting her head before leaving the office again.

While eating her plate of food, Hermione watched the entrance from the office. _Man it's a busy day_ , she thought. In that short amount of time that she took to eat, there had been too many customers coming in.

After she finished her sandwich Hermione decided to get rid of all the junk the Black Brothers had collected in the wrong place. She started with the pile of tires, rolling them outside one by one. Once finished with the tires, she started moving the heavy old engine block. Hermione groaned and hurried outside, afraid it would slip out of her hands.

'That looks like a man's job Princess,' a voice called out just as she felt her fingers slipping.

Hermione cursed softly and sank to her knees in attempt to save the engine and let it rest on her knees. Before she knew it, two hands reached for the engine and lifted it from her. She instantly knew it was Draco, without having to look. She recognized his voice and his nickname for her. Indeed looking up, she was looking into the amused eyes of the blonde boy, only he wasn't alone. Next to him was a gorgeous girl with long brown hair. She smiled warmly at Hermione and reached her hand out to help her stand. Hermione stared at the tattoo on the girl's wrist in fascination, it was a gorgeous snake, almost as gorgeous as the girl herself.

'Oh err, sorry,' Hermione murmured when she realized she let the girl waiting, and she grabbed her hand.

'No worries, I get that a lot. She's a beauty isn't she,' the girl said smirking as she touched the snake on her skin with her fingers.

Draco rolled his eyes beside her. 'Can you tell me where this thing goes?' he asked Hermione, nodding at the engine in his arms.

Hermione flushed, she completely forgot he was carrying that for her.

'It goes over there,' she quickly said, pointing at the pallet Sirius had put there for her. 'Thank you,' she yelled after him as he took big strides towards the wooden thing.

The girl chuckled next to her. While waiting on Draco to return, Hermione let her gaze wonder over her once more. She was obviously part of Slytherin, with the tattoo and all, but she looked nice. She was sure the girl could turn in a monster whenever someone pissed her off though.

'I'm Hermione,' she introduced herself, not knowing what else to say to the girl.

'I know, Drake told me all about the pretty girl, who snapped at him for almost hurting Black's dog,' the girl grinned. 'Oh, I'm Pansy by the way. I'll bet you'll see us a lot now that you work here, Drake and I often get sent here to pick up stuff. Well, like the parts for our bikes of course.'

Stuff. Yeah right. Hermione was sure she meant something else and she didn't know that she ever wanted to find out what that stuff was.

'Nice to meet you, I'll guess I see you around then,' Hermione said, slowly starting to walk backwards.

When she turned around fully she bumped into a hard chest and two hands grabbed her hips to steady her.

'Woah, steady there Princess. Is this your way of thanking me? If you wanted me to touch you, you could have just asked,' Draco joked, looking down at her with a smirk.

For the second time Hermione's cheeks heated up and she placed her hands on Draco's chest to push him away from her, even if she kind of liked the feeling of his hands on her.

'Or you want to touch me, damn woman make up your mind,' Draco chuckled as he released his grip on her.

'I don't know what you're talking about,' Hermione murmured embarrassed and quickly walked around him to hurry back inside.

She heard the sound of a slap behind her and it took a lot of will power not to look around. She guessed Pansy had slapped Draco's arm. Or face. She looked like the kind of girl to do that.

'Great, now you scared your princess away,' she heard Pansy laugh.

 _His Princess?_

Hermione wanted to stop and listen to his reply, but they would notice if she did. Draco was utterly handsome and his eyes, oh his eyes. She could stare at them all day if he would let her.

'Get it together Hermione,' she whispered to herself, hitting her own cheek softly.

She didn't know the guy, she only saw him for a few minutes with both times combined and he was in a gang for fucks sake. ' _But he's the first guy you actually felt attractive to'_ a little voice whispered in her head. It was true and she was afraid that the more she'd see him, the more she would want him. _WANT HIM?_ Shit. This was already getting out of control. It probably was his bad guy vibe she was attracted to, what girl wasn't? Yeah that must be it.

Hermione collected the scattered tools in the office to distract herself and put them together in a bucket, so she could bring them to the shop later. She grabbed another bucket and filled it with hot water and detergent that smelled like lemons.

'Hermione, are you in here?' Pansy shouted behind the door, knocking too.

Before she could answer however the door already opened and Pansy popped her head inside.

'Sirius told me to get you, he needs your help,' she informed Hermione, opening the door completely.

Hermione dropped her cleaning supplies, grabbed the bucket with tools to take with her and followed Pansy to the shop.

'Did he say what for?' Hermione asked, looking at the girl beside her.

Pansy shook her head and the two continued to walk in silence. Padfoot had chosen to follow the girls and he now dribbled in front of them, leading the way. When Hermione stepped foot in the shop, closely followed by Pansy, she was greeted by a sight of multiple motorcycles. Some were absolutely beautiful, while others looked either horrible or very old and used. In the middle of the loft, Sirius was working on a black Harley. His hands were black, he even had a smudge on his cheek and his brows were furrowed in concentration. Regulus and Draco were standing behind him, talking softly to each other. Draco noticed the girls first, his eyes scanned her body and Hermione suddenly wished she had put on something less revealing as her tight tank top and denim shorts. She felt naked and vulnerable under his stare. She crossed her arms over her chest and avoided making eye contact with him.

'Ah Kitten, there you are,' Sirius greeted her when she reached him. He immediately pushed something in her hands and positioned her where he was sitting on the floor before.

'See that? I need you to fix it with those tiny golden hands of yours,' he said, smiling encouraging at her.

Hermione nodded at him and went to work, occasionally asking for another tool. She could feel Draco and Pansy's curious eyes following her every move, but weirdly it didn't bother her this time. She was working, she knew what she was doing and she was good at it.

'I told you she was good,' Sirius grinned to his brother when Hermione stepped back to admire her handy work.

A small smile appeared on Hermione's face and she turned her head to look at the brothers and their visitors. Sirius looked proud, Regulus his face didn't show much emotion, Pansy looked impressed and Draco had this look in his eye that she couldn't quite place. His eyes seemed a darker shade of grey, but Hermione wasn't sure as he stood a little too far away. Sirius handed her a cloth to clean her hands of the black grease that covered the skin of her fingers.

'Do you need anything else?' she asked Sirius, wanting to escape from Draco's piercing eyes.

He hadn't stopped staring at her and it made her a little uncomfortable. Her skin seemed to be burning as well and she just couldn't understand why he would look at here that way. Maybe he thought she was weird?

The raven haired man shook his head and Hermione turned on her feet to leave the shop.

'Hey wait up,' Pansy called after her, jogging to catch up with the girl.

Hermione slowed her pace and waiting for Pansy to join her.

'I didn't take you for a biker girl, you look more like the _'I'd rather stick my nose in a book'_ kind of girl. It's a nice surprise. Did you see the look on Draco's face when you got your hands all dirty? Priceless! He's going to want you even more now,' Pansy chatted cheerfully, winking at the girl when she got out the last sentence.

 _Draco wanted her?_ Well he could come and get her anytime. She was sure she would make a fool out of herself if he ever decided to do just that, but she certainly wouldn't mind. Oh she had to talk to Ginny about this.

'Just so you know, I did work in a bookshop before this,' Hermione grinned, choosing to not react on the Draco wanting her bit. She was sure the girl was only fishing for her thoughts on the blonde.

Pansy barked out a laugh. 'Of course you did.'

The sound of a roaring engine caused both the girls to turn their head and look at the biker that drove up to them. Behind the rider sat a slender woman with blond curly hair that slipped out from under her helmet. The bike stopped a few feet away from them and when the woman removed her helmet and shook her hair free, Hermione recognized her friend immediately

'Luna!' she yelled out surprised.

She had not expected to see one of her best friends here, especially not behind a member of Slytherin. But then, why shouldn't she? Seeing as her boyfriend Theo was of course a member of the snake squad.

'Hello Hermione,' Luna smiled, hopping over to her friend to kiss her cheek.

Pansy looked at the blonde with raised eyebrows before introducing herself, her eyes flashing between Luna and the young man that only now took off his helmet. He smirked at Pansy and smoothly stepped off the beautiful monster he had just arrived on. Luna grabbed Hermione's hand and pulled her closer to her boyfriend.

'Hermione, meet Theo; my handsome and extremely sexy boyfriend.'


	3. Chapter 3: Coffee & Firewhiskey

**A/N: You guys are the best! Thank you so much for showing love with follows, faves and reviews! Everytime I get an email, one of you makes my day, I'm so happy you all love it so far!  
This chapter doesn't have much Draco in it(I'M SORRY!) but I promise you that next chapter will make up for that *smirks*  
Beta love: Amanda Quick (thanks a million times for keeping up with me and all my errors!)**

 **Thanks for reading, enjoy & please don't be shy and let me know what you think :)**

* * *

Theodore Nott was absolutely head over heels for Luna. Hermione could see it in every little thing he did. The way he looked at her with adoration whenever she spoke, the way his eyes followed every move she made, and how he always found a way to touch her, even if it was just his hand on her lower back. It was cute, sickening, but cute. Especially coming from such a tough guys like Theo. He looked quite dangerous with his massive arms, tattoos, and a few scars marking his skin. Although when he was talking or looking at Luna, he reminded Hermione of a giant fluffy puppy. From what Hermione could see, Theo's feelings looked genuine, happily she gazed at Luna and saw the feelings being returned. Luna really deserved someone who praised the ground she walked upon.

'So how do you like your job so far?' Luna asked, looking around the office that was becoming cleaner by the minute. She and Theo had taken a seat on the black couch and were keeping Hermione company while she continued to clean her working place. Luna had offered to help, but Hermione knew from experience that it was better for the blonde to just sit back and watch, The last time she helped Hermione tidy up her parent's living room, everything was misplaced. Their stapler was still missing and it had been almost a year since she had helped 'tidy'.

'I just started today, or actually tomorrow is my first official day. I couldn't really work in this mess before now,' Hermione said, gesturing to the now almost empty desk. 'But I just helped Sirius with one of the bikes, and that I absolutely loved.'

Luna smiled at her. 'I'm glad. You have always been too bright to sit in that old dusy bookstore. This suits you better. You can use your brains and your hands. Plus, look at all the hot guys you will shock by fixing their precious motorcycle.'

Theo barked out a laugh and Hermione chuckled. She guessed her friend was right. She loved her books and helping people. Putting those together and helping people find the books and stories that they were looking for, was wonderful when the store was thriving, though like all places there were quiet lulls in the store. In the beginning, Hermione didn't mind at all, although after two years, she has gotten bored of all the quiet. True she could do her homework or read all the books she wanted to at work, but she just didn't have the drive to go to work anymore. She lacked the passion to make it through the day. Her new job gave her the opportunities to grow again, in several different ways. Hermione woke up excited and ready to go to work again. She was already planning for the fall when classes started back up that she could continue her employment here.

'You sound like Ginny,' Hermione said, thinking of how excited the redhead had been when she told her about this job. 'Speaking of Ginny, did she invite your for her football game next week as well? Apparently it is an important one.'

Ginny had played football since high school and last year she was scouted for the English National girl's soccer team. That girl was amazing and even though Hermione didn't like sports very much, she loved watching Ginny play. Hermione had already agreed to go and she knew Harry, Ron and Neville would be coming to watch as well. The four of them had always been Ginny's greatest supporters and when they grew closer to Luna, the blonde was quickly added to that team.

'Of course I'm going silly, I wouldn't miss it for the world. Besides, Ginny would kill me if I wouldn't go,' Luna giggled, leaning in closer to Theo.

'We wouldn't want that now, would we,' Theo said, smiling at his girlfriend. He kissed her temple and his face suddenly got serious. 'I am coming with you by the way,' he whispered to her.

It was just loud enough for Hermione to hear and she almost frowned at his possessive tone. Luna however, smiled sweetly at her boyfriend.

'No, you're not. I'm going with my friends. You can pick me up after the game, on your black beauty, but under no circumstances are you coming with. I need to spend some time with my friends, alone,' Luna informed the shocked looking Theo.

Hermione's lips curled up in a smirk when the tough looking young man stuttered a 'yeah okay love, whatever you want.' He clearly didn't expect her to resist. Luna kissed her boyfriend's cheek and patted his thigh, making Hermione struggle not to laugh out loud. This was just priceless, she wished Ginny could have seen this.

* * *

The next day Hermione went to work in her new black work shirt, paired with black denim shorts and black all stars. Her hair was held out her face by a French braid and she wore little make up, only a little mascara covered her lashes. She was again greeted by Padfoot first, closely followed by Sirius who was coming out of the shop with a box in his hands.

'Good morning Sirius, what have you got there?' Hermione asked, smiling at her new boss.

'Morning Mione, oh just some old rusty parts we can't use anymore. Regulus hates throwing things out, so I'm doing it now since he won't be here till lunch,' Sirius replied, grinning cheekily.

Hermione laughed. 'You're evil, but it's probably for the best.'

She walked past him to her new office and smiled when she smelled the fresh scent of lemons. The office had changed drastically after yesterday and she could definitely see herself working here now. She placed her laptop on the desk and grabbed the file with papers she would go through today. She had just settled when Sirius walked in with a brand new coffee machine in his arms.

'I thought you deserved to have this after working so hard yesterday. We're really grateful to have you Hermione and I know how much you appreciate a good cup of coffee in the morning. If you prefer tea during the day, you can always use the kettle in kitchen,' Sirius said, putting the machine down on the second desk.

Hermione stood up from her seat to hug Sirius. The raven haired man let out a surprised laugh and wrapped his arms around the girl as well, hugging her back.

'Thank you Sirius, you didn't have to do this. Remember my words from yesterday? You keep making them true.'

'Knowing the way to a witch her heart? I've had years of practice Kitten and I wanted to do this. Regulus too, by the way. He'll probably won't say it to your face, but he is happy to have you here as well. He told me yesterday he was quite impressed with you helping me fix Malfoy's Harley,' Sirius grinned while letting go of the girl to get back to the coffee machine. 'I have some mugs as well, will you grab them for me while I install this? They're on the counter in a red plastic bag.'

Hermione nodded and went to grab the bag with mugs. She had no idea it was Draco's bike she worked on yesterday, or maybe it was his fathers. Still, she liked proving to people she wasn't just the book nerd everyone thought she was, especially to people like Draco, Theo and Pansy. She enjoyed watching their expressions change when they figured out there was more to her. When she got back in her office Sirius reached for the mugs and placed a black one with _Keep Calm and Ride On_ under the machine. It also had an image of a motorcycle on it and Hermione snickered when she got a look at the other mugs, they all had funny quotes on them. She placed them beside the coffee machine and filled one of the mugs with little spoons. Sirius had also brought two little jars with sugar and milk and Hermione placed them on the table as well.

'Perfect,' Sirius said and he handed Hermione the first mug of coffee.

The first two hours Hermione worked undisturbed on her laptop. When Regulus came in to try out the new coffee machine, he actually smiled at her and asked her if she had everything she needed. Of course he disappeared right after, but Hermione thought of it as progress. She knew the man had trust issues and it would take some time for him to warm up to her. Once Hermione was almost done with her work for the day, Ginny came in with a box of delicious smelling cheese and pepperoni pizza.

'You're my favourite person ever,' Hermione said, moaning when she took her first bite.

Ginny laughed. 'Only because I feed you from time to time.'

'That too, but you also always know what I need. And you're a great friend Gin, I don't know what I would do without you.'

'Aw you're adorable, I'll bring you pizza more often. I just love hearing how great I am,' Ginny smirked, snatching another piece of pizza.

Hermione stuck her tongue out to her friend before seizing an additional piece as well. She hadn't eaten very much today due to being so consumed with her work, and her stomach welcomed the food with joy. When the girls finished eating Hermione closed her laptop and gattered her things. She was happy with what she had been able to do today. Sirius hadn't called her into the workplace today, which was good, since their paperwork wass a mess and there was still a lot that needed to be done.

Sirius waved at the girls when they stuck their head into the loft to say goodbye, he was still working. He wished them a good weekend and told Hermione to be back at nine on Monday. With their arms linked together Hermione and Ginny walked to Ginny's light blue scooter. The redhead handed her friend an extra helmet.

'Hop on, we have only two more hours to get ready,' Ginny said, starting up.

It was the first Friday of the month today, which meant Hermione and Ginny were going out with their friends tonight. It kind of became tradition for the group after they all went to college and none of them had ever skipped on of these Fridays. It was their chance to catch up and be together like old times again.

At eight o'clock Hermione and Ginny were ready to go. Both girls decided to wear a dress tonight as it was still warm out and it was their only chance this month to really dress up. Hermione wore a dark green dress that hugged her body and ended just above her knees, it had a high neck and no sleeves. She felt as if was a bit too much for just drinks, but Ginny told her she looked stunning and who knows, maybe they would end up clubbing. Ginny wore a black dress with a low v neck and a lace covered body. It ended half way her thighs and Hermione just knew Harry was going to drool all over his girlfriend when he saw her. She looked gorgeous.

The girls went next door to pick up Harry and as Hermione expected his jaw dropped when he spotted Ginny standing behind Hermione.

'Wow,' he breathed, reaching out for the redhead.

Hermione snickered and stepped aside so Harry could step closer to his girlfriend. Neville appeared in the door opening of the Potters wearing a light blue shirt, his lips curling up in a smile when he saw the girls.

'Hey! You're looking good Mione,' he said, opening his arms to hug her and kiss her cheek.

'Thanks Nev, you don't look so bad yourself either,' Hermione smiled, hugging him back.

He did look very handsome, in the past few years puberty had treated the boy very well. The two of them had even tried to date once, right after high school, but it was just too weird and the both of them decided they would be better off as friends.

'Is Ron here too?' Hermione asked, looking past Neville if she could see the redhead anywhere.

Neville shook his head. 'He said he'd meet us at The Three Broomsticks.'

'Alright, Luna will meet us there as well with Theo. Are you boys ready to go?' Hermione asked, looking behind her to Harry as well.

Harry quickly let go of Ginny's lips and turned around to grin at Hermione. 'I'm Ready!' he said, while grabbing Ginny's hand in his and intertwined their fingers.

Hermione and Neville both chuckled. The latter closed the front door behind him and the four of them went on their way.

* * *

When they arrived at The Three Broomsticks, Ron was already there. He sat at the bar with a beer in front of him and was talking to a pretty blonde girl with a huge wine glass in her hand. She laughed at something he said and touched his arm.

'Wow, is my brother flirting with a girl? She's actually laughing at him, I'm so proud,' Ginny said, watching the two with wide eyes.

Hermione laughed and poked her friend's ribs.

'Be nice Gin, he deserves a nice girl. Don't embarrass him too much,' she warned the redhead, before they walked over to Ron and the mystery girl.

'Isn't that Daphne Greengrass? She went to school with us right?' Neville whispered to Hermione when they got closer to the two.

Hermione got a better look at the girl when she stood up to introduce herself to the group. Neville was right, it was Daphne. The girl and her sister went to school with the group and if she remembered correctly, both girls had been the Queens of high school, both well-known cheerleaders. She never paid them much attention as Hermione wasn't interested in sports or popularity. Ginny used to be quite jealous of the sisters when she first joined them at school, but that soon disappeared when she became captain of the school football team.

'It's so good to finally meet you guys, Ron has been telling me so many wonderful stories about you,' Daphne beamed, when she had introduced herself to everyone.

Ron had his arm around the girl's waist and gazed at her with twinkling eyes. Hermione had never seen him this way with anyone, gone was the awkward clumsy boy. Or, for now. He'd probably knock over a glass or two and choke on the salty snacks they always got with their drinks, it almost always happened, that was just Ron.

'I wish we could say the same thing, but my brother never told us he was dating anyone,' Ginny pouted, shooting a glare at her brother for keeping her in the dark.

Daphne smiled and leaned into Ron. 'That's my fault actually, I asked him if we could keep it to ourselves until we were sure it could really go somewhere.'

Hermione was about to say something when the door of the pub slammed open and a group of loud laughing young adults walked inside. She immediately recognized them as Slytherins and her eyes looked for the blonde boy who, to her disappointed hadn't show up at her work today. She had been extremely too busy for his distractions, even if she would have enjoyed gazing at him. Even if it was just to tease her or call her princess. She only just now realized she had really hoped to see him again.

Her eyes found Pansy first, she was walking in front of the group and wore a ridiculously short black dress. Next to her was a boy she didn't recognize, he had short black hair and was a little chubby. Behind them she saw Theo with Luna on his arm, but Draco was nowhere to be seen. Hermione tried to hide her disappointment and focused on Ron her friends before her again. Ginny looked at her with a questioning raised eyebrow, she had saw the look on her friend's face. Hermione just shook her head and mouthed 'later' to her.

Luna spotted her friends and dragged Theo with her, the light blue summer dress she was wearing flowed around her and her blonde curls bounced up and down. Pansy seemed to notice where the two were headed and quickly left the group to follow them. Hermione stifled a laugh when she saw the face of the chubby guy when she left him hanging mid conversation. The girl met Hermione's eyes and smirked at her.

'Hey guys,' Luna called out cheerfully when she and Theo reached the group.

Introductions went around again and all three of the boys looked a little wary when they noticed Theo's Slytherin jacket. Hermione noticed that Harry lost the look when Ginny whispered something in his ear. He shot Theo one more look before smiling softly when the tough looking Slytherin curled his arms around Luna while chatting with Ron and Daphne. He seemed familiar with Daphne and Hermione wondered if she, or maybe her father, was Slytherin too.

'He seems really smitten with Luna,' Neville said, watching the two lovebirds with a small smile.

'Oh he is, he won't shut up about how wonderful she is,' Pansy smirked, popping up next to Hermione.

Neville jumped and his eyes widened a bit when his gaze fell on the beautiful brunette. Hermione chuckled and introduced the two, softly pinching Neville's arm when he kept staring at Pansy. The brunette didn't seem to mind as her own eyes scanned Neville's body.

'Are you here with your boyfriend, or are all those guys just friends?' Neville asked the girl boldly, he was grinning cheekily and he even tried to wink at her.

Hermione's jaw dropped at the same time as Pansy busted out in laughter. To Neville's credit he kept his chin up and never lost the cheeky grin.

'You're hilarious! Why don't we get some shots together hot stuff?' Pansy asked, hooking her arm through Neville's and dragging him with her.

Hermione blinked in confusion when the two left her to get to the bar. _Well that was surprising,_ she thought amused. She was actually getting quite thirsty herself and looked around if any of her friends had drinks already. Harry was missing from the group and when Hermione let her eyes wander through the pub, she spotted him at the bar ordering drinks. She started to make his way over there to help him carry everything back to the table, when a hand grabbed her wrist. She was turned around smoothly and pulled against a broad chest. Hands grabbed her hips and a gasp escaped Hermione's lips when she looked up into Draco's grey eyes. The blonde smirked down at her, showing a row of perfect white teeth.

'Hello Princess, we meet again.'

'D-draco,' Hermione breathed, unable to unlock her gaze from his.

His eyes were gorgeous, he was gorgeous. His hair seemed to be freshly cut and he had styled it up in a quiff.

'Yes Princess?'

'I- uh- What are you doing here?' she stuttered, her mind felt foggy.

Why couldn't she think? She didn't even have a drink yet. Maybe he had secret powers, maybe he was secretly a wizard. If so, he could use magic to make her brain all foggy.

No that was silly. There was no such thing as real magic.

'Drinking, hanging out with my friends and I might have chosen this pub because Theo told us he was meeting Luna's friends tonight,' Draco admitted, his eyes never leaving hers.

'You don't have a drink in your hand and I also don't see any of your friends right now,' Hermione observed. 'Are you stalking me?' She tilted her head to the side and looked at him with raised eyebrows.

'I thought I made that clear already Princess, come let me get us a drink. I don't know about you, but I'm really craving some firewhiskey.' Draco said, breaking their eye contact.

He turned Hermione around and placed a hand on her lower back to lead her towards the bar.

'Firewiskey? I never heard of that before,' Hermione murmured, wondering if she heard him right.

'You're missing out Princess, let me introduce you to the best alcohol you've ever had,' he said, leaning on the bar and smiling down at her.

'I'm not sure that's a good idea,' Hermione replied, furrowing her brows when she remembered the last time she tried a sip of her father's whiskey.

Draco ignored her and waved to a barman to get his attention.

'Two shots of firewhiskey, please.'


	4. Chapter 4: Snog Your Blonde Prince

**A/N: Thank you for all the wonderful reviews and welcome to my new readers! Early update this week cause I couldn't wait to share this chapter with you all. I hope to update on friday again next week, as you guys will probably hate me for leaving you with this ending *hides away* and I'm sure that as soon as I finish ch5 I want to share it as soon as possible anyways hehe.**

 **ENJOY!**

 **Beta love: Amanda Quick**

* * *

Draco had made her try the firewhiskey and it had burned her throat so much, that she coughed after the first one. The feeling of warmth she got afterwards felt so wonderful that she had asked for another one. Draco had grinned down at her and proceeded to order another round. After that he introduced her to something else he thought she would like; butterbeer. She had never heard of that one either and it was deliciously sweet. After two shots of the firewhiskey and a huge glass of butterbeer, Hermione was a giggling mess. Since she wasn't used having this much alcolhol, she was certainly feeling it, but not drunk yet.

'You're not trying to get me drunk are you?' Hermione asked when Draco offered to buy her yet another drink.

The blonde laughed and leaned closer to her, his breath warm against her ear. He spoke softly, the breath tickling her neck, 'As much as I would love to see you drunk Princess, it is not on my agenda for tonight.'

'Then what is? And does this mean you plan on getting me drunk some other time? Hermione asked him, then furrowing her brows, she murmured to herself 'I shouldn't trust you, should I?'

 _Why am I sitting at the bar with Draco Malfoy, a known Slytherin, this guy I barely know? I should be with Ginny, Neville, and Harry._ Looking around the bar, she realized that she felt comfortable with him. She was letting him buy her drinks and was enjoying his company.

'I'm not telling you my plans Princess, it would ruin them wouldn't it? Can't a bloke just buy a girl some drinks and try and get to know her?' Draco smirked, winking at her.

Hermione titled her head and looked at him for a while, her eyes slowly scanning his face. His grey eyes never left hers.

'Is that what you're doing?' she finally questioned.

He didn't flinch or look away and Hermione found that reassuring. She always trusted people way too easily and she found herself wanting to trust Draco as well. He was mysterious, but he flirted with her and he was obviously very handsome. If he really wanted to get to know her better, she was okay with that.

Draco sipped his beer before answering. 'Does it really matter?'

'If your intentions are truly to get to know me, then no it doesn't matter. But if you have a secret agenda and just want me to trust you for you to stab a knife in my back, well...' Hermione answered, her lips curling up into a smile when she saw the amusement in his eyes.

'You watch too many movies Princess, I might not be an innocent guy with a clean record, but I would never lead a girl on like that.'

'Not even for sex?'

Draco's eyes widened at her blunt reply and he barked out a laugh when she clamped her hand before her mouth, shocked by her own words. Hermione flushed and quickly asked the bartender for a coke, she needed some sugar.

'Aren't you a delight Princess,' Draco chuckled. 'To answer your question; no I still wouldn't, my father thought me to have respect for woman. Always. It's a code we Malfoy man live by.'

Hermione narrowed her eyes at him. As much as she wanted to believe him, she didn't think he was a saint. He must have broken that rule even if was just a few times. He had been a hormonal teenage after all and he was still a man. And man had needs.

'So you're telling me that you never had one night stands?' she asked, folding her arms, her eyebrow cocking up.

Draco snickered, scooting a little closer to her.

'I never said that. That doesn't mean I didn't respect the woman I've been with Princess. Besides, there are plenty of girls who are willing to have a one night stand. Are you asking me all of this because you want to have sex with me? I didn't think you'd beg so fast Princess,' he grinned, his eyes twinkling.

Hermione's eyes widened in horror and she almost choked on her coke.

'I didn't mean, I, uh, oh fuck this,' Hermione spluttered, throwing her hands in the air in frustration when she couldn't find the words.

'Don't you mean fuck me? You're more than welcome to Princess,' Draco teased, grabbing her hips and pulling her against him.

Hermione flushed at the feeling, but immediately pushed herself away as if he was on fire. She didn't want to give him the idea that she was this easy.

Draco's booming laugh made her shiver with delight, it was such a nice sound and for a moment she forgot he was laughing at her.

'I'm glad I amuse you,' she glared at him when he finally stopped laughing. His eyes shined with amusement and his lips trembled as if he had trouble to keep them straight.

'Malfoy! Get your ass over here for a moment, we need to talk,' a deep voice with a Russian accent suddenly called out from behind the two.

Hermione looked over her shoulder to see who the voice belonged to. The man didn't look familiar to her, but he was wearing a Slytherin jacket, so she deduced whatever they had to discuss wasn't meant for her ears.

'Can't it wait Dolohov? I'm kind of in the middle of something,' Draco said annoyed, glaring at the foreign man.

The man raised his dark eyebrows at Draco and snarled out a 'No!' while gesturing for him to join him. Hermione frowned at the man's angry face and turned to the blonde beside her.

'I'll go check in with my friends. If you would like, you can join us once you have finished discussing whatever has made your friend so angry,' Hermione whispered to him, shooting a glance at the Russian for a second. 'Pansy and Theo have joined our group as well, so you won't be the only Slytherin there.'

'Don't worry, I will find you later Princess,' he nodded.

Hermione watched as he walked away before grabbing her drink and searching for her friends. She spotted them easily as they were the second biggest group in the pub tonight. When she arrived Ginny immediately pulled Hermione between herself and Pansy. _Those two have obviously hit it off very well._ Hermione thought to herself.

'We saw you with Draco,' Ginny said, wiggling her eyebrows.

Pansy smirked and handed Hermione a shot glass she grabbed from the table.

'Drink up and tell us all about it!' she drowned her own with one big gulp.

'Er, about what? There's not much too tell, we-'

'Oh no don't even try to get out of this Granger. We saw the way you two gazed in each other's eyes,' Pansy interrupted, grabbing another shot glass.

Hermione wondered how much alcohol the girl had already consumed. She didn't look drunk, but then she probably could handle a much more than herself.

'And you made him laugh,' Ginny added.

Rolling her eyes, Hermione grabbed for another shot herself. She would need more alcohol for this conversation.

'You two make more of it than it really was, I barely know him. He laughed because I said stupid things and embarrassed myself, like accidently asking if he would sleep with me. Or well, I think I did..'

'WHAT?' Ginny yelled, eyes wide before bursting into laughter with Pansy.

'Do you want to?' Ginny giggled.

'In all honestly, who wouldn't? Have you seen the guy? I do find him attractive, but I don't do one night stands. Wait. What am I even saying? I thought I was asexual for ages, I only had sex once and Draco walks into my life and suddenly my body is feeling all kinds of things.' Hermione said, suddenly feeling confused.

She really was feeling things she never had. Sure, she found guys attractive before, but she never thought about kissing, touching or having sex. When Hermione had kissed boys before or held their hands, she didn't feel the flutters or anything like she thought she would. Although when Draco touched her by grabbing her by the hips, pulling her against his chest, or just his breath against her ear when he whispered to her, she felt the flutters and stirrings that was missing prior. He was the first boy, no _man,_ to make her feel anything! Draco Malfoy was something different, he was special. All she wanted to do now was explore the feelings she was having, if he was agreeable to that. Not in the form of a one or two night stand, she didn't think she could do something like that. The fact that he seemed like he might be dangerous, didn't bother her as much as it should. It kind of gave her a thrill that she thought might be good for herself.

'Wait, you can't be serious? You thought you were asexual?' Pansy asked shocked, looking at Hermione who was nodding yes. 'Damn! That sucks. Don't worry though honey, if anyone can help you with that, it's Draco. That guy is good, addicting, and totally into you. I am sure he wouldn't mind helping you realize that you can and will feel things you've never thought of before.' Pansy grinned and winked before slamming down another shot of firewhiskey.

'You slept with Draco?' Hermione asked, not sure how she felt about that.

The girl was absolutely gorgeous and had no doubt a ton of experience.

'Jealous Hermione? I bet you've never felt that either. You can calm down though, Draco and I used to date in high school and after that we were kind of friends with benefits. But we stopped when I got a boyfriend and never got back at it,'

'I'm not jealous,' Hermione muttered.

'Well I'm glad you finally feel something, this is a huge step Hermione. Oh, I'm so excited for this,' Ginny squealed, jumping up and down.

'What are you so happy about, love?' Harry chuckled, joining the girls and wrapping his arm around his girlfriend.

Ginny smiled up at him and apparently forgot all about Hermione when she gazed into Harry's eyes. She lifted her arms to wrap them about his neck and pulled his face down for a kiss.

'Gross,' Pansy pretended to vomit, but when she looked at Hermione she smiled. 'Are you going to kiss him tonight and be just as sickly cute as these two?'

'Kiss Harry? Are you insane,' Hermione laughed, knowing she of course meant Draco.

'Don't even think about it, snog your blonde prince. Harry's mine,' Ginny growled jokingly, interrupting her kiss with Harry.

Harry looked curious at that and he lift a questioning brow at Hermione. 'Am I missing something?'

Ginny stroked his cheek lovingly. 'Nah, you're just blind love,' she giggled.

He pouted at her before her lips caught his again. Hermione watched them with amusement, both were tipsy and clearly couldn't keep their hands of each other anymore.

'Don't you want that?' Pansy asked her.

'Of course I do, don't you? To have someone who adores you, holds you, cares for you, it sounds wonderful,' Hermione said, thinking about how much she would actually want that.

She really didn't want to end up alone. She wanted a family, get home from work to be kissed by a husband and hugged by her children. This feelings she started to feel for Draco made her hope for that again.

'I don't know, I've never been good at being in a relationship, just ask Draco. I need my freedom and I'll probably go crazy living with a man,' Pansy chuckled.

'Then go for a woman,' Hermione shrugged, lips curling up in a smile when Pansy's eyes got wide in horror.

'Are you kidding? Pansy would kill any woman that would live with her, there would be bitch fights every day. She's way to territorial about everything she owns,' Theo laughed, catching Hermione's words as he put a tray full of drinks on the table to their right.

'Ha-ha, you're so funny Nott,' Pansy stuck her tongue out to the guy before grabbing two glasses from the tray. She handed one to Hermione and drowned half of her glass as if it was nothing.

Hermione looked at the content in her glass and sniffed when she brought it to her mouth. It smelled like normal beer and she gladly took a sip, the shots had made her throat feel dry. She watch Pansy and Theo bicker for a while before letting her eyes wander through the pub, looking for a certain blonde. She noticed the Russian Draco called Dolohov, sitting at the bar with two others Slytherins, no sign of Draco anywhere near him. Hermione craned her neck as far as she could, but still didn't see a flash of blonde hair anywhere.

'Are you looking for someone, Princess?' Draco's voice whispered in her ear from behind.

Hermione jumped and let out a yelp as she didn't expect him to be behind her. Her heart thumped loudly in her chest and she slowly turned around to face him, meeting his amused eyes and handsome grin. She bumped her fist against his arm and glared up at him for a second.

'You scared me, you idiot,' she growled, setting down her beer as some of it had splashed over the edge of the glass when she had jumped.

'Sorry,' Draco smiled sheepishly. 'How much did you have to drink while I was gone?'

'A few more shots,' Hermione admitted, cleaning the spilled beer of her hands with a napkin she found. 'Why? Do I act drunk?'

'Not yet, do you want another butterbeer? I'm getting more firewhiskey for myself and Theo.'

Hermione titled her head, she really did want another sweet beer, but she already had this glass and she could feel her head getting fuzzy. She shouldn't drink much more, but she nodded anyways, watching as the blonde took big strides towards the bar. _He has a nice ass,_ Hermione thought to herself. His jeans fit his thighs just right, that you could see the muscles flex as he strode away.

With a warm flush colouring her cheeks, due to the inappropriate thoughts of wanting to touch him, Hermione felt a fuzzy feeling starting to erupt in her low abdomen. Blaming the alcohol, she let her thoughts go to how much she wanted to touch him. Touch his broad shoulders, feel his strong thick muscles in his arms and legs. She wanted to see what was under those black clothes, she wanted to explore each dip and curve of him, and shower his skin with kisses as she got to know each inch. Starting to ache with this new feelings of sexual need, she realized that the reason for her lack of activities in the last few years was from not having the feelings of need.

'You're drooling,' Ginny giggled.

Hermione looked at her friends and let her head fall on her shoulder, suddenly feeling tired.

'Do you always feel like this when you look at Harry?' Hermione asked, almost feeling embarrassed for asking.

'I don't know what you're feeling right now Hermione, but I guess you're body and mind are finally reacting normally at the sight of a hot boy,' Ginny said, leaning her own head against Hermione's.

'Maybe I should just kiss him, see how it feels this time,' Hermione murmured a bit dreamy.

'Oh my, Hermione how much did you have to drink,' Ginny asked, her shoulders shaking from laughing.

Hermione lifted her head and moved forward to reach for her beer glass. 'Not enough, I need more or I would never dare to go for it.'

Her best friend looked at her as if she was a different person, but not exactly in a wrong way. Her eyes shined with amusement and her lips were curled up in a cheeky grin.

'Go for it girl, get wild for once,' she winked, giving her a little push in the back when Draco joined them again with her new drink.

He eyed her now empty glass with raised eyebrows and a little smile, before handing her the freshly tapped butterbeer. Hermione could already smell the sweetness from the drink and she eagerly took her first sip.

'What has gotten into you, Princess? Trying to get drunk are we,' he chuckled, sipping his own drink.

'Maybe. I just want to let loose for once,' she explained, taking another gulp.

Draco placed his hand on her wrist, stopping her from drinking more. His grey eyes studied her face. 'Take it easy, you won't enjoy throwing up after drinking this too fast. If you want to let loose I can help you with that, no need to get stupidly drunk Princess.'

'And just how would you do that?' Hermione challenged, biting her bottom lip and gazing at him intensely

She didn't really know what she was trying, but she wanted to feel more of those tingles and butterflies in her stomach. The alcohol definitely helped her get looser already as she tried to look sexy, she'd seen Ginny look at Harry like this multiple times and it always ended in the two of them disappearing for a while.

The frown on Draco's face wasn't quite what she expected. He looked at her in question, scanning her face, his eyes lingering on her lips. With two steps he stood right in front of her, his chest almost touching hers and she could feel his breath on her face, smelling the firewhisky.

'What are you trying to do Hermione? Are you trying to prove something to me or your little friends over there?' he asked, his hand moving up to her mouth to tug her bottom lip free from her teeth.

Hermione gasped softly at the feeling of his fingers on her lips and without thinking she nipped his fingertip. Draco's eyes met hers in an instant and she thought that she saw the grey in his eyes darken. His free hand curled around her waist and he pulled her against his body, his face now so close that his nose almost touched hers.

'Answer me, Princess,' he said, his voice sounded husky.

'I, uhm, what if I said I'm trying to prove something to myself?' she whispered, lowering her eyes to his chest, her cheeks flushing again.

Draco finger found its way to her chin and he lifted her head up so she had to look at him.

'Like what? That you can seduce me? Befriend a gang member maybe?' he guessed, looking genuinely confused as if he couldn't understand why she behaved like this.

Hermione avoided his eyes again, she didn't want to tell him what she thought for so many years. He would laugh at her, surely he would. As if he felt she was uncomfortable, he let go of her waist and took her hand instead, leading her to a darker and quieter spot of the pub. He looked around if anyone watched them, before gently pushing her against the wall, blocking her view of the pub and the other way around by standing in front of her. His arms rested against the stone wall on either side of her head.

'Tell me,' he demanded.

'Tell you what?' Hermione played dumb.

'What are you trying to prove? Answer me or I'll walk away,' he threatened, smirking when her eyes narrowed at him.

'You say that as if I'm pining after you, it's my choice if I want to tell you something personal or not,' Hermione said a bit annoyed, glaring at him.

Draco sighed. 'Fair enough, tell me or don't tell me, either way I will continue to bother you. I like you Princess. You're different and I'm not planning on letting you out of my sight any time soon. I'll tell you this; when a Malfoy wants something, he gets it. I will figure you out, I will help you figure yourself out if that's what you need.'

Hermione stared at the blonde, did she just hear all that right? All the alcohol in her system was still making her head feel fuzzy so she couldn't think very straight.

'And If I want you to leave me alone?' she asked, raising her eyebrows at him. Of course she didn't want that, but she wouldn't let him decide what to do with her.

Draco laughed, moving his body closer to hers again. One of his fingers curled around a strand of her hair, tugging gently.

'My feisty Princess, you don't want that. You're whole body is telling me that already, you can't lie to me. You're attracted to me, I'm attracted to you, thereby you will be mine.'

'Possessive much? I'm not yours yet Malfoy,' Hermione said stubbornly, even if her brain was screaming for her to just fall to his knees and let him do whatever he wanted with her.

What the hell was wrong with her?

'Not yet, no. But you want to be, I can tell,' he answered cockily, his hands leaving the wall and grabbing her hips. He leaned down close enough for her to feel the warmth of his breath, but not close enough yet. 'What do you want _Hermione?'_

She shivered. Her name sounded so good coming out of his mouth. She wanted him to kiss her. She wanted to know what it felt like.

'I want,' she breathed in, her arms coming up to grab his neck with her hands. 'I want you to kiss me.'


	5. Chapter 5: You're Not Getting Laid

**A/N: Thank you so much for everyone who followed, faved and reviewed! You guys make me so happy with all the love this story is getting so far. Sorry for the mean cliffy last chapter, I hope this will make it up to you hehe.  
Enjoy this chapter guys & please let me know what you think :) **

**Beta Love: The wonderful Amanda Quick (Mandi762) & the amazing Katharina (TheLastLynx)**

* * *

Draco stared at her for a moment, his gaze flickering from her eyes to her lips. His right hand left her hip to cup her cheek and Hermione felt the butterflies in her stomach go crazy again at his touch. Slowly, Draco started to lean in, their noses touched and she could feel his hot breath on her lips. Right before his mouth touched hers he stopped, making her whimper with need. Why did he stop?

'Tell me, why do you want this?' he whispered as his thumb caressed her cheek.

'I just want to know what it feels like,' Hermione breathed, her hands clutching his black T-shirt.

Draco smirked and moved his hand to her neck, grabbing a fist full of her curly hair.

'If I do this, you'll be mine, Princess. Do you understand?'

She quickly nodded, not even thinking if there would be any consequences by letting him kiss her, she just wanted him to hurry the hell up and snog her senseless. His head dipped lower and when their lips touched, Hermione let out a moan. His lips were warm and soft, softer than she expected, and they moved with skill over hers. She felt herself melt into him, her body now fully touching his, feeling every inch of him. Her hands moved to his neck to play with the strands of his hair and when she pulled at them, he groaned into her mouth. The sound made Hermione shiver and it encouraged her to do it again. Her lips opened to taste him and Draco's tongue quickly slid inside, exploring her mouth. They moaned in union when their tongue's touched and started to dance around each other, battling for dominance.

Draco pushed his hips into hers and pulled back from her mouth to gasp for breath. He was panting and so was she. Their eyes locked for a moment before his mouth quickly found its way to her neck. Hermione tilted her head to the side to give him more access, and her hands travelled to his broad shoulders, holding onto them so she wouldn't fall to the ground. Her knees felt weak and her head dizzy. Hermione didn't know if it was because of all the alcohol or because his mouth and hands that all over her. A whimper left her throat when Draco's tongue slipped out from between his lips to lick the small bruise he had made there. She felt him smile against her skin before he lifted his head and attached his lips to hers again.

They snogged for what felt like hours before they parted, lips bruised and breathing hard. Draco smirked down at Hermione and slowly moved his body away from hers. Hermione automatically followed him, her body cold without his touch. The blonde chuckled and placed his hand on her hips, his fingers dipping into her flesh, and she could feel his warmth through her dress.

'And how did it feel Princess?' he asked, nipping at her bottom lip.

Hermione closed her eyes at the feeling and smiled.

'Amazing. Mind blowing. I've never been kissed like this and it definitely never felt this good,' she babbled, her cheeks flushing red.

Draco smirked down at her and leaned forward to capture her lips in yet another breath-taking kiss.

'Glad to be of service,' he whispered when he released her again.

When the two of them returned to the group with swollen lips, messy hair and both sporting a bright purple hickey on their necks, they were greeted with wolf whistles. Everyone seemed to have a good time and not one person was sober anymore. Drinks kept coming and against her own better judgement Hermione drank more than she had ever had. She felt great. It had been a long time since she really enjoyed a night out so much.

A few of the younger Slytherins joined their company when the night got on and to Hermione's surprise they were all very kind people. She didn't know what else she had expected. As far as she knew Draco, Pansy and Theo weren't bad people either. Draco told her he wasn't innocent and she had heard stories about Slytherin, but it might be only the older members who did all the bad stuff. If they even really did bad stuff. She guessed it might be something to do with either drugs or weapons, but she could be totally wrong. Hermione shook away her thoughts when Blaise, one of the boys who had just joined them, handed her a new butterbeer.

'Thanks,' she smiled at him, leaning into Draco as she took a sip.

Blaise winked at her and Hermione felt Draco's arm tighten around her waist. She looked up at him with raised eye brows and noticed that he clenched his jaw, glaring at Blaise. She giggled and looked back at her drink.

'I'm not jealous, Princess,' Draco murmured into her ear, he clearly realized why she was giggling.

'Than why are you glaring daggers at Blaise's back?' Hermione asked, her lips curling up into a smirk.

She sipped her butterbeer again, enjoying the feeling all the alcohol gave her. She felt warm, relaxed and carefree. Draco brought his mouth to her ear again, teasingly nibbling at her earlobe, making her shiver.

'Because I don't share, Princess. And you are mine and only mine, Blaise can find someone else to undress with his eyes. You are off limits,' a small growl escaped Draco's throat, and at the sound Hermione felt the butterflies go wild in her stomach again.

'He's not undressing me with his eyes, he just bought me a beer and winked at me,' she snorted, shaking her head at the thought of yet another Slytherin getting the hots for her. She wasn't even that beautiful.

Hermione liked her appearance just fine. Her teeth had been fixed by an orthodontist when she had been a teenager, her hair was still bushy but she managed to control it with some hair products, and her body had gotten nice curves over the years. She liked how she looked, but she didn't think she was particularly beautiful.

'Same thing. You don't know him like I do, I recognize that look in his eyes and I will make certain he knows you're mine,' Draco said, smirking down at her again.

Hermione rolled her eyes. 'And how will you do that? Threaten him?'

When he didn't reply she looked up at him with wide eyes. Draco shrugged and kept his gaze fixed on Blaise.

'If he issues a threat against me, then yes I will. I don't think it will come that far though and I promise you that I won't kill him, so you don't have to worry Princess.'

Hermione froze in his arms, but relaxed again when Draco barked out a laugh and looked at her with a twinkle in his eyes. He drowned his glass of firewhiskey and put it down onto the table before turning her around in his arms. His lips were on hers before she could even blink and she sighed happily at the feeling. His tongue found hers and Hermione brought her arms up to wind her fingers in his blonde hair. Damn this felt good. She finally understood why people liked kissing so much.

'This will do just fine, I think,' Draco laughed as he released her.

Hermione didn't have enough of him though and pulled his head back to hers, crashing her lips on his again. She ignored the whistles around them and she thought she could hear Ginny cheer her on. Someone yelled 'Get a room!' but she didn't care. All she cared about was the delicious feeling of Draco's soft lips on hers. Her fingers pulled on his hair again and just as the first time, Draco groaned and pressed his pelvis against her hips, making her moan in reply.

When she pulled back they were both panting. Draco's grey eyes stared at her intensely and she almost grabbed his face again. She had to use all her will power to not jump him. What was happening to her? Hermione had never felt like this before. Was this lust? She craved him, she craved for his touch and his kisses. She wanted to be close to him, stare at his eyes as long as she could, touch his skin and tear his clothes off. Wait, what?

She blinked a couple times, but her brain felt far too mushy to think straight. The alcohol was slowly tightening its firm grip on her, and she wasn't sure if she still enjoyed the sensation. She was losing control of her body and mind. Zoning out for a few minutes, staring at Draco as he talked to Theo about something, she missed how about half of their group began to leave. Neville got her attention by touching her elbow. He smiled at her; his arm was around Pansy's waist as the girl leaned into him, clearly comfortable.

'I'm going to take Pansy home, are you okay getting home yourself or do you want to come with us?' he asked, his eyes begging her to decline his offer.

Hermione grinned at him. She wouldn't be the one to stop him from finally getting laid again. Or, that's what she guessed was about to happen.

'I'll be okay, I'll join Harry and Ginny when they leave.'

Neville bit his lip, looking at his feet.

'They, er, they left already. I saw them go just a few minutes after you kissed Malfoy in front of everyone,' he murmured, cheeks flushing red as if he was embarrassed for them leaving her behind.

Hermione looked around the pub and noticed it being much emptier than a few minutes ago. She didn't spot her best friends, the only two still around where Neville and Luna. The latter was dancing like no one was watching, a drink in her hand and her eyes closed. She shook her hips on the music and her free arm was in the air, swaying on the rhythm of the tune.

'I'll take her home,' Draco's voice sounded behind her, his arm slipped around her waist, pulling her back against his chest.

Neville narrowed his eyes at the blonde, but nodded anyways when Pansy dropped her head on his shoulder. He waved a warning finger at Draco.

'You get her home safe, do you hear me? If any hair on her body is hurt, I will find you.'

Draco chuckled softly at his threat.

'Sure thing, Neville. I promise you she'll be home safe and sound before sunrise.'

Hermione giggled and Pansy lifted her head from Neville's shoulder to grin at her.

'You can trust him Nev, he's been making sure I'm safe all my life. He'll take good care of Hermione,' Pansy reassured her company for the night.

She winked at Hermione and mouthed 'Have fun!' to her before pulling Neville with her to exit the pub. Hermione waved at the girl and turned around to Draco with a smile.

'You're not getting laid tonight, you know,' she said, tilting her head.

Draco choked on the sip of beer he just took and looked at her with wide eyes. Theo, who was standing close enough to hear what they were saying, barked out a laugh and clapped Draco on his back in an attempt to help him.

'What on earth made you say that, Princess? Did I do or say something, that made you think I planned on sleeping with anyone?' Draco asked, still coughing slightly.

Hermione frowned at him and put her hands on her side. Theo let out a small 'Uh, oh' before leaving the two to join Luna in her dance.

'I wanted to make sure that you and I are on the same page. I am not an easy girl. Just because I want to snog you right now, though we only met a few days ago, doesn't mean I'm going to jump in bed with you right away as well.' Hermione said, shifting her weight onto her other leg and pushing her chest forward, trying to look serious. 'But you just made it sound like you didn't care who you'd be sleeping with tonight; are you playing me Draco?' She tapped her foot and narrowed her eyes at him.

She knew she shouldn't have just thrown herself at him. She just couldn't help it. He was hot, mysterious and sexy. Did she mention, hot? He probably had another girl every night.  
A growl interrupted her thoughts and before she knew it, Draco stood in front of her. His hips touched hers and his hands grabbed her cheeks, forcing her to look at him.

'Listen to me, Princess,' he started, his voice low and deep. 'I thought I made it clear already that you are mine now. I don't want anyone else.'

Hermione blinked, but he wasn't done yet.

'I didn't think about sleeping with anyone, and I certainly wasn't going to try to get into your pants. Not because I don't want to, or because you're not hot enough, cause God, you are drop dead gorgeous, Princess. But because I respect you,' he whispered the last part and his thumb stroke her cheek tenderly.

Hermione swallowed, not sure what to reply at first. It almost sounded too perfect. The look in his eyes made her melt though and she really wanted to believe him.

'You do realize we basically just met, right? Why do you want me to be yours if you barely know me? 'I might be a crazy psycho for all you know. You haven't seen every side of me yet to know who I am' Hermione told him with her hands on her hips, staring into his grey eyes

Draco sighed and let his hands slip off her face, he ran them over her shoulders down to her arms. The touch of his fingers left a trace of warmth on her skin.

'I do realize that. You are different, Hermione, I've never felt this way before. You truly interest me and I want to get to know you better. I'm a bad boy, a gang member and I can tell you that I'm not known for being soft and caring,' he tried to explain. 'Aside from Pansy there aren't many girls who go against me, who challenge me, and there are certainly no women that can capture my interest like you do.'

Hermione bit her lip and tore her gaze away from his. He was winning her over. He was telling her exactly what she needed to hear, and she badly wanted to kiss him again. Draco's lips curled up in a smile as if he knew exactly what she was thinking.

'I don't believe you're a crazy psycho by the way, maybe just when someone pisses you off or hurts your loved ones,' he grinned, his fingers reaching for a curl that had escaped her braid.

Sighing Hermione leaned closer towards him, her body longing for his warmth. He was right. She suddenly felt very tired, and she wondered if she would remember any of this by tomorrow morning. Yawning she let her head rest on his chest.

'Fine, you win,' she mumbled.

She couldn't remember how she made it home later that evening, but when she opened her eyes the next morning she understood why.

She never got home. Neville was going to kill Draco.

Hermione stared at Draco's sleeping face. To her own surprise she didn't panic. She just lay there and gazed at the beautiful blonde boy slumbering next to her. He looked so peaceful, his mouth was slightly open and her gaze landed on his soft plump lips. Oh how she wanted to kiss them again.

She was so screwed.


	6. Chapter 6: A Ginger Cat Named Dobby

**A/N: YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST! Last chapter got the most comments I've ever gotten and I'm so happy you all liked it! There will be more hot moments, but not right now *hides away*** **Sorry it took some more time to upload, but my muse is hiding out and life got in the way.. I hope to update next week again as ch7 is almost half way done already :)**

 **I also uploaded an adorable Dramione Mother's Day one-shot, so please check it out if you haven't already. I really LOVED writing it :)**

 **Beta love: BIG SHOUT OUT TO MY LOVELY BETA'S: Mandi762 & TheLastLynx **  
**Without them this chapter would be an absolute mess**

 **Enjoy & let me know what you think xx**

* * *

The next morning at Draco's home, he had behaved like a true gentleman. He never tried to do more than kissing, never pushed her boundaries, he even made her breakfast. Afterwards, when the excesses of the previous night finally claimed their toll on her body, he tenderly held Hermione's hair and stroked her back while she was miserably kneeling on the bathroom floor emptying her stomach. When she sat back on the cold bathroom floor, sweaty and exhausted, he made sure she had enough to drink and to eat, before he drove her home so she could properly regain her strength.

Standing in front of her house, he promised to be in touch. After a sweet parting kiss on her cheek, he winked, and drove away.

When Hermione finally woke up from her nap, Ginny was sitting beside her on the bed. The redhead wanted to apologise for leaving with Harry without finding her first, and she desperately wanted to know all the details from the night before. Hermione brushed Ginny's worries off without a thought. Feeling giddy, she told Ginny about it all, the kisses, how she felt when he touched her, and how much she wanted to do it all again. The redhead squealed and hugged her, exclaiming how happy that Hermione was finally able to feel what she was always talking about. When her friend chatted about how she had felt when Harry first kissed her, Hermione's mind trailed off. She couldn't believe she had finally felt a connection with a man. With a man like Draco. She wasn't sure what exactly she hoped to get out of this, but she definitely wouldn't mind feeling like last night again. He made her skin feel like fire, he actually kind of made her feel like a phoenix. She had risen last night; new, burning, full of life. Being with Draco felt like magic.  
Hermione shook away her over analysing thoughts and focused on Ginny and her giddy feelings. For once she wanted to talk boys with her best friend. They spent the rest of the day chatting and giggling, and Hermione realised once more how lucky she was to have a best friend like Ginny.

This all had happened two days ago. Two days without a single word from Draco. Hermione tried not to care, but she was disappointed. She thought he had meant what he said.

* * *

On Tuesday morning Hermione walked into the Black Repair Shop just before nine, she was already yawning and desperately in need of caffeine. After a restless night, just tossing and turning, she'd given up on sleep around six. Her mind kept replaying the kisses Draco had given her, and was expanding on those kisses in her dreams. All this had left her thoroughly frustrated and wanting more. At the same time she was becoming angry at herself; why did she let this man influence her feelings so much? She had only just met him last week, how could her body and mind want him so much? This was so not like her…

Still wondering why he hadn't texted or called, she poured herself her first cup of coffee. Draco definitely had acted possessively, as if he wanted her to be his, but now she couldn't shake the impression that he was toying with her, that he just was having a bit of fun at her expense. It was absolutely not okay, and while staring at the ceiling at three in the morning, she had made the decision that if he came by the shop, she would demand an answer. There would be no more anything, until he showed her just how much he did want her. She couldn't believe how she had let him walk over her so easily, making him believe she was okay with being his possession. Clenching her jaw, Hermione dropped a few drops of milk in her cup, she would fix this.

A sharp knock at her office door and the sudden appearance of Sirius made Hermione jump, and the contents of her mug splashed all over the floor. With a curse Sirius disappeared again, only to come back with a mop to clean the floor.

'Good morning, Sirius,' Hermione grinned when he got up, smiling sleepily at her.

'Morning Kitten, sorry about that.'

'No biggie. Here, take this and I will make myself a new one,' Hermione handed him her freshly made cup of coffee; he looked like he was in desperate need of some caffeine as well.

He nodded in thanks and plopped down on the couch, sipping his coffee as he watched the brunette fixing herself her own drink. Hermione added a little milk to her mug before sitting down next to him.

'Are you okay?' she asked when he remained unusually silent.

The man next to her sighed and shrugged, making Hermione feel even more worried. She wasn't used to him being so down and quiet. Sirius was always cheerful, cracking jokes, and talking everyone's ears off. But now, he looked tired with dark circles under his eyes; his hair was a mess, and his clothes were wrinkled.

'I just had a rough weekend. Reg and I had a row, and then Remus came round rather upset, and apparently I wasn't able to say the right things because he left quite angry. I still don't understand what his problem was, and now I'm worried about him,' Sirius explained, his eyes fixed on his coffee. Hermione laid a comforting hand on his shoulder. Sirius gave her a small smile and continued. 'On top of it, my motorcycle broke down last night, and I can't seem to fix it. This morning, Padfoot was acting strange, so I had to take him to the vet who wanted to keep him for observation. I'm just..." He fell silent again, rubbing his face, and sighed.

'It's too much,' Hermione finished for him, and he nodded.

Feeling determined to help, Hermione jumped up from the couch, and took Sirius' mug out of his hands. He looked up at her in surprise when she pulled on his arm, trying to get him up.

'Here's what we are going to do. You're going to call or text Remus if he can meet you today to talk. Then you're going to find Regulus, as he will probably be here soon, and talk it out like brothers always do,' Hermione stopped for a second to look at Sirius. He had a frown on his face , but nodded when her eyes met his.

'I will go see if I can help you fix your motorcycle and afterwards I can call the vet for you if you want. I know a thing or two about dogs as my aunt is a dog breeder and a vet. How does that sound?'

As reply Sirius threw his arm around her and pulled her close to kiss her cheek.

'You're the best Hermione, thank you.'

She smiled up at him. 'No worries. Now let's check out that bike of yours.'

* * *

Around lunch time, Hermione went back to her office, already feeling very content with everything they had accomplished so far. She'd been able to fix Sirius' bike, to get him and Regulus to make up, and in the end Regulus even asked for her help on a project of his. Sirius was now on his way to meet up with Remus to fix things from last night, then go by and check on Padfoot.

Right when Hermione sat down to do some financial work on the computer, her office door opened. Looking up, she watched a smirking Draco entering. He closed the door behind him, one arm behind his back.

'Hello Princess,' he greeted her before getting his hidden arm in sight, presenting her with a single red rose.

Hermione swallowed, almost melting at the sight of him. He looked amazing. The dark pair of jeans he was wearing clung to his long legs in a very sexy way, and the tight white T-Shirt under his leather jacket betrayed his lean and muscular body. Damn him for being so bloody fit.

'Draco,' Hermione attempted to remain cool, nodding at him in greeting.

She had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep herself from smiling. The smirk immediately disappeared from Draco's face and his eyebrows rose in question.

'Everything okay, Princess?'

Hermione nodded and allowed herself to smile. All her annoyance at him had disappeared the moment he stepped inside, and she was mad at herself about that. But she was also mad at Draco. Why did he have to be all romantic? Why did he have to be so fit? And why did her body not agree with her mind? These feelings were so confusing, and Hermione wished she had talked to Ginny about this.

'Sure. Why wouldn't it be?' she asked, tilting her head.

Draco mirrored her motion, and frowned, his fingers fumbling with the rose he was holding.

'Why do I feel like that's a trick question?' he questioned, taking a step forward.

Hermione stood up, and Draco's lip curled up in a grin. He held the flower out for her, but she ignored him and walked around him to the coffee machine.

'Tell me, do you only come to me when you're in the mood for some fun, Draco?' she asked as she placed her mug next to the machine.

Draco gave her a puzzled look, and laid the rose onto her desk. Stepping towards her, he grabbed her hips and pulled her flush against his body. Closing her eyes, Hermione fought hard against how good it felt to have him so close again, she would refuse to give in so easily, even if she felt her body aching for his closeness.

'Where are all these questions coming from, Princess? I thought I made it clear how I feel about you,' his left hand travelled from her hip to her cheek, feeling the softness of her skin.

He leaned into her and she couldn't help but stare into his eyes. Just as his lips were about to touch hers, she turned her head to the side. His lips brushed her cheek, and he pulled back from her with a confused look.

Hermione sighed and put her hands on his chest.

'Look, I get that you might be busy, but after your words on Friday I didn't expect you to go a-wall on me for three days. I feel a bit stupid to be honest,' she started, meeting his grey eyes. Draco opened his mouth to say something, but Hermione continued. 'If you are serious about this, I want to get to know you. I don't want to be your play thing, I don't. I want to know what your intentions are. ' Draco's eyes widened, but she still wasn't done. 'I know your type, you're a tough guy, you can get all the girls you want and you're probably used to getting your way. I know you said you respect woman, so I'm hoping you'll show me just that.'

'Are you saying you want me to take you on a date?' Draco asked, his famous smirk returned on his face. He grabbed the rose from her desk again. 'Because that's what I came here to do.'

Hermione felt her face heat up and she opened her mouth for a reply, only to close it again. She felt slightly stupid, but she was still glad she said what was on her mind. After all there was always the possibility that he only said so now, because she'd just been honest. She felt conflicted. She barely knew him, but she wanted to. Was it always this complicated? Hermione couldn't remember the last time she felt like this, but she had also never met a man like Draco. - She felt silly, like a lovesick teenager, asking him to take her out and showing her that he meant what he said on Friday. They were both under the influence of alcohol for heaven's sake. But she didn't want to fall for a guy who would just play with her, and she knew she was falling for him. Hard. And only after a week or so.

'Do you really want to?' she asked, looking at him with narrowed eyes.

Draco let go of her hip and placed the rose in her hand. He then grabbed her chin and forced her to look at him, his grey eyes looked serious and she heard him take a deep breath.

'I want to, I really do. What you just said is partly true and I only admire you more for pointing it out to me. It's one of the reasons why I like you so much, Princess. You're not afraid to tell me what you think; you challenge me,' he said, his hands reaching for her again.

Hermione looked down at the rose, and brought it to her nose to smell it. A small smile played on her lips when her gaze locked with Draco's again.

'Okay,' she said.

'Okay?' Draco grinned, pulling her closer to his body.

She nodded and smiled up at him. 'Okay.'

'I'll pick you up when you get off, does that work for you?' He asked as he pushed a loose curl behind her ear with his finger.

Hermione looked up at him in surprise, shivering lightly when his finger followed a path on her skin, to her neck.

'You want to take me on a date today? I, err, I don't know when I get off. I have quite some work to catch up on,' she mumbled, distracted by his touch.

Draco nodded, leaning closer to her and capturing her lips in a kiss. Hermione sighed at the feeling of his lips on hers again, feeling his closeness, letting him take advantage of her moment of weakness. When his tongue tried to sneak into her mouth she pulled away. Draco pouted at the loss, and she giggled softly at the sight.

'No more kisses, until after I know at least five more things about you- that I didn't know before.' She said, grinning at him.

He said he liked to be challenged by her, so that was exactly what she was going to do. Draco laughed and let go of her, allowing her to grab her coffee cup.

'Do you want some?' she asked him, holding up an empty mug.

Draco pulled a face. 'That's the first thing, Princess, I absolutely despite coffee. I'll drink it if I have to, but only with so much so much sugar that it will make me sick if I drink a whole cup.'

She snickered, and went to sit behind her desk again.

'Tell me more,' she encouraged him.

He sat down at the chair behind Regulus' desk, and let his chin lean on his hands, staring at her.

'Want to kiss me again so badly, Princess?'

Hermione rolled her eyes and sipped her coffee.

'I want to get to know you.'

'Fine. I have a ginger cat named Dobby, and he's extremely annoying,' he said, his eyes never leaving her face.

She raised her eyebrows at him. 'Annoying how? I'm sure it's the other way around, how can cats be annoying?'

'Oh trust me, this one can be. He follows me around the house all the time, I trip over him at least once a day, and when I don't pet him when I get home he meow's until I do,' Draco sighed.

'That sounds like he just wants your attention, that's not annoying. It's actually kind of sweet. I bet that if you'd pet him more, or even play with him, he'd likely follow you around less. Cats need love too you know.' Hermione laughed, imagining Draco being followed by a whining ginger cat all day.

'My mother gives him enough love for all of us. My father hates the cat, and I tried to play with him once and then he scratched my whole arm bloody. Do you call that love? The stupid cat should just catch mice and birds and leave me alone.'

This made Hermione laugh even louder.

'Do you have pets? It's clear you are fond of them, seeing as you nearly took my head off the day we met. You're not going to do the same now it's clear I don't like my cat very much, do you?' Draco joked.

Hermione giggled and shook her head.

'Don't worry, I won't. I do have a cat of my own though, he's also a ginger and his name is Crookshanks.' She told him. 'And I do love him very much.'

'Figures, you do look like a cat person,' Draco replied, and laughed as she stuck her tongue out at him.

'As much as I love this, I really need to get back to work. So either be quiet or go see if Regulus is around, you two are friends right?' Hermione asked. 'Maybe he needs help with one of his projects.'

'We're not really friends, he's in Slytherin with me, and that's it. I'll find him nonetheless, mind you, I need to discuss something with him,' he stated and he stood up.

Hermione hummed in response as she logged in on her computer, not really listening as she typed. When she looked at him again he was already at the door.

'I'll see you tonight, princess,' he winked before he disappeared.

Hermione blinked at the door. Were they really going on a date tonight? She wondered what he planned to do; but before she could get nervous, she pushed the thought out of her head. She had work to do.

* * *

When Sirius got back he found Hermione in the office, frowning at a piece of paper in her hand. Her eyes flickered back to the computer screen, touching her chin with her fingers, looking deep in thought. Again, his knock made her jump, and he chuckled softly as he entered.

'Sirius! How's Padfoot?' She immediately asked, dropping the sheet she was holding.

'He's fine now. The vet said he had gastric torsion, which means his stomach dilates and then rotates, but he had surgery and I can pick him up tonight,' he said, relieved that his beloved dog would be okay.

'That's good! I'm happy he's okay,' she smiled, her gaze turned back to her screen for a second before she looked back at him again.

'And Remus?'

'All good as well, we sorted it out,' he beamed, plopping into the same chair Draco had sat on a few hours before. 'Thank you, Hermione. For helping me with everything,' he continued, smiling fondly at the young woman in front of him.

Hermione grinned back at him.

'You're very welcome, let me know if I can do anything else okay? I'm not just your employee, Sirius; I'm also your friend.'

Sirius nodded and was about to say something when his eyes fell on the rose on her desk. He wiggled his eyebrows.

'Oh lookie! Have a secret admirer, do you, Kitten?' he cooed.

Hermione giggled and shook her head, looking at the rose as well. She had placed it into her penholder, because she couldn't find a vase anywhere.

'More like a stalker,' she joked. When Sirius' expression soured, she immediately told him she wasn't serious. Taxing her with narrowed eyes for a second, he nodded.

''So, who's got his eyes on you, then? Do I need to kick his arse?' he asked, winking at her.

'Maybe. But is seems like we're going on a date tonight, so let's just wait how that turns out, shall we' she laughed, ignoring his idle threat.

She remembered Sirius' reaction when she first met Draco, and she was slightly afraid of what he would think of her dating him. He didn't seem to like the Slytherins very much, well aside from his brother that is, obviously.

'That sounds exciting, any idea what the bloke's got planned for you yet?' he asked, studying her face as if that would tell him who she was dating.

Hermione shook her head

'Well, just let me know if Reggie and I need to kick someone's arse okay? No one will hurt you and get away with it, kitten,' Sirius said, flashing her a big smile before getting up from his chair.

Hermione watched him leave. Sirius was like an uncle and a friend to her, and she loved that he felt so protective of her and her friends. She wondered why he thought she would get hurt, did he have his suspicions that it was Draco? Or a Slytherin. If so, it would make sense as Draco and the other guys did seem like the type to break a girl's heart. She sighed and shrugged, she would talk to Ginny about this later as the redhead seemed to know more about Sirius and Slytherins than her. Hermione wasn't planning on letting anyone break her heart, even though she had a feeling Draco could do just that… She had never experienced such strong feelings before, it was scary. She was excited for her date this evening though, she looked forward to get the know Draco better. With a smile Hermione focused on her work again.


	7. Chapter 7: Full of Surprises

**A/N: Thank you so much to everyone who faved, followed and reviewed! It means so much! *sends everyone cookies*  
I loved writing this chapter, and I really hope you guys will enjoy it just as much :)**

 **Beta Love: TheLastLynx**

* * *

It was almost six o'clock when Draco knocked on her office door again. Hermione could have worked for much longer, but her brain felt fried, and about half an hour ago she had gotten an annoying headache. She needed to stop and take some painkillers. A date with the one and only Draco Malfoy sounded like the perfect reward for her hard work today, and Hermione was excited to get the know the young man better.

'Are you ready?' Draco asked when she had swallowed her painkillers with a glass of water.

Hermione nodded, grabbed her bag and jacket from the couch, and allowed Draco to lead her out of the shop. When they walked towards his motorcycle, she almost squealed in excitement. She knew he had brought her home on it on Saturday, but she couldn't really enjoy it then due to her huge hangover.

'Can I drive?' she asked, only partly joking.

Draco laughed and handed her the spare helmet.

'In your dreams, Princess. No one but me rides my baby,' he answered, winking at her when she pouted.

Draco straddled his bike, and Hermione quickly positioned herself behind him. She wrapped her arms around his waist and let her cheek rest against his back. When he started the engine she grinned at the sound of it. Oh, how she loved motorcycles. They rode past Sirius when they got through the gates, and Hermione waved at him. She saw his brows furrow just before he disappeared from sight. She really hoped he wouldn't worry. He cared about her, he had told her as much repeatedly, and he probably saw the Slytherin jacket Draco was wearing. Or he recognized his bike… For some reason he didn't seem to trust Draco, and she decided she would talk to Sirius about it tomorrow.

Hermione enjoyed the ride, and she almost felt sad when Draco slowed down after a few minutes. They stopped in front of a big building, and she smiled when she realised it was a bowling centre. It was one of the last things she had expected, and she loved it.

'It belongs to my best friend's dad,' Draco said when Hermione let go of his waist to get of the motorcycle. 'I spent a lot of free time here when I was a kid, and I even worked in their restaurant a few summers in a row.'

Hermione swallowed a giggle; she couldn't imagine Draco working in a restaurant.

'You did? Did you serve tables?' she asked, trying to keep a straight face .

Draco rolled his eyes, and carefully pulled the helmet she was wearing off of her head.

'Of course I didn't serve tables, that's a far too low of a job for a Malfoy. I was manager, and sometimes I helped the chef when it was busy,' he shrugged, his lips curling up in a small smile when her jaw dropped.

'Manager? How old were you?'

'I started working there when I was sixteen, I think. Thoros trusted me and Theo to keep the place running when he went on his holiday, so he made me restaurant manager and Theo manager of the bowling area,' Draco replied. He tenderly reached up to smoothen down her wild curls.

'Aren't you full of surprises,' Hermione murmured.

Draco smirked at her before turning around to put a lock on his motorcycle. Hermione couldn't help but stare at him. A streak of sunlight touched his almost white hair; it almost looked like it glowed. For a moment he seemed like an ethereal creature, a fairy maybe; pale and beautiful, surrounded by the bright glow of a halo, all he missed were a pair of wings. When he got up again, Hermione quickly looked the other way, pretending to be interesting in the colourful flowers in front of the building. Suddenly she remembered something he just said.

'You like to cook? You mentioned helping the chef?' she asked, genuinely interested. She loved man that knew how to make a proper meal.

Draco nodded, holding up his arm for her. She placed her hand in the crook of his elbow, and looked at him expectantly.

'I do; it's been a secret hobby of mine, so don't tell anyone,' he said, winking at her.

Hermione frowned, why would that have to be a secret? Before she could ask, they entered the building and were immediately greeted by a cheerful young man. He asked them what they wanted to do, so he could guide them to the right place. When Hermione just blinked at him, he laughed and handed her a folder.

'Take a look at this, sugar,' he smiled, before walking towards the next visitors that stepped inside.

The folder said there was something to do for everyone; bowling, midget golfing, karaoke, cooking and cocktail workshops, ice skating, karting and more. When Hermione looked up at Draco again, he was smirking at her, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

'I thought this was just a bowling centre,' Hermione said, surprised with all this building got to offer. 'This is amazing, how didn't I know of this before now?'

Draco shrugged 'Not many people know the great secrets this place holds, it's bigger than it looks. It used to be just bowling and golfing, but in the last few years it evolved into a much bigger business. Thoros chose to let this place run on the loyalty of his customers. They would bring new people, these people would come back and bring their friends or family, and so on. He didn't want to over–advertise it, so it wouldn't get too popular. This place is meant to be for a peaceful day out, and that means turning away guests if he thinks there are already enough people inside,' Draco explained, looking proud. He certainly loved this place, she could see it in the sparkle of his grey eyes.

'I see; so what do you recommend we do?' Hermione asked, glancing at the folder again. 'You know this place best, and I can't choose. I want to do everything on here...'

Draco wrapped his arm around her waist, and pulled her against his side.

'Good thing you have me then; I'll bring you back here until we have done everything this place has to offer. That is, if you want to spend more time with me after this date,' he smiled, leading her towards the front desk.

Before Hermione got a chance to answer, he had secured two bowling passes. She bit her lip to keep herself from cheering; she was good at bowling, and she had feeling Draco would be great competition.

This would be fun.

'Tell me, what do you like to do in your free time?' Draco asked when they tied the laces of their bowling shoes.

Hermione looked up In surprise, he hadn't asked her many personal questions yet.

'What?' he laughed. 'We're getting to know each other right? Can't I ask questions too?'

She smiled at him. 'Of course you can. I, err, I usually read a book, or spend time with my friends. Also, I really like to fix motorcycles and cars.'

'Sounds like you found a perfect job then. Lucky you, that I sort of come with your job,' Draco winked.

 _Lucky me, indeed,_ Hermione thought. She would have never met a guy like him if she had stayed working at the bookstore. She still wasn't sure what kind of guy he was though, and she had a feeling there was more to him than he let on. She desperately wanted him to be a kind person, but she couldn't get Sirius' face out her head when he saw them leave together earlier today. Was he worried? Why was he so concerned?

Draco interrupted her thoughts by holding out his hand to help her up. They put their own shoes in a locker, and walked over to their bowling lane.

'Are you ready to lose, blondie?'

'Did you just called me blondie, Princess?' Draco gaped at her while grabbing a dark green bowling ball.

She grinned cheekily at him, and chose a deep red one for herself.

'How about a little game. Whoever knocks over the most pawns, gets to ask the other a question. Deal?'

Draco nodded, and motioned for Hermione to go first. She got 9 out of the 10 pawns. She laughed with delight. It had been a while, but she apparently still got it. She watched as Draco threw his ball with a fluent, elegant movement.

Damn, he even looked fit throwing a bloody bowling ball. He had taken off his leather jacket, and now his white shirt clung to his muscular chest. She was so busy staring at him that she totally missed his game. When his eyes met hers, she quickly looked up to the scoreboard. Strike. Of course.

'What's the deal with you and Sirius Black?'

Hermione blinked. She hadn't seen this question coming. What was he even asking? Did he think she and Sirius had some kind of romantic relationship? Or that he was family? He'd probably noticed Sirius's reaction to him, and wondered what he was to her.

'I don't know what you mean by that but he's like an uncle to me, and he's my friend.' she said, raising a questioning brow at him.

Draco hold her gaze for a few second before nodding.

'Alright. I thought he might be into you or something; he's very protective of you.'

Hermione clenched her jaw, she did not like where this was going. He could not insinuate things like this.

'That's because Sirius and I are like family. You're a Slytherin, I'm sure you can think of a reason why he would be protective of me.'

Draco narrowed his eyes, and she could see she'd hit a nerve. Determined to ask the next question herself she focused on the pawns. She threw a strike while Draco missed two.

'So tell me, what is it that you Slytherins did that made Sirius dislike you? He clearly doesn't trust you, but he still helps you lot fix your bikes, and gets you parts and stuff,' she asked, putting her hands on her hips.

Draco smiled at her sadly.

'I'm not sure what you expect me to say, Princess, but he hates us for allowing Regulus to join. He never trusted us, and maybe you should ask him for the reason why. I was still a toddler when Reg joined, and all I know is that Sirius refused to follow his brother. I think he only lets us into his shop, so he can keep an eye on his brother.'

Hermione bit her lip. It made sense, but his answer still didn't satisfy her. There was more, and she would find out what it was. There was a reason why Sirius wouldn't join them, and why he was angry for Reg being accepted. Slytherin must have had a reputation back then already; a bad one.

This time Draco threw another strike, while Hermione missed one pawn again. She looked up at him, wondering what he would ask now. His grey eyes locked with hers, and he reached for her face to brush away a lost curl. Her insides melted, and she cursed her body for reacting so strongly to his touch every time.

'How many boyfriends have you had?' he tried not to smirk, but failed.

Hermione rolled her eyes at his question, but she was glad he didn't ask something else about Sirius.

'Only one, but we didn't last long. He thought I was a boring bossy know-it-all, and he annoyed me to pieces with his lousy manners. I dated a few times, but it was nothing serious. I never really felt like anyone was good enough, and I don't mean that in an arrogant way. I just didn't feel enough, you know?' she felt stupid the moment she said it.

To her surprise Draco nodded. He didn't smile, his eyes actually looked sad. He grabbed a new bowling ball before looking at her.

'I know exactly what you mean. I haven't felt anything for anyone, until I met you, Princess.'

His words made Hermione freeze on the spot. Was she dreaming? Did he just admit that he really felt something for her? Or was this another game?

She met his gaze and stared into his grey eyes until he looked away, his cheeks slightly red. For a moment he didn't look like the tough gang member, he actually looked really vulnerable and human. It only lasted a few seconds before the mask slipped onto his face again. The smirk returned, and he focused on their bowling alley to throw yet another strike.

For the rest of their bowling hour they kept asking each other questions, but they never returned to their real feelings or dangerous topics like Slytherin or Sirius. They kept it simple: what's your favourite food, where do you like to go on holiday, who's your best friend, when's your birthday, tell me about your family, etcetera.

'That was fun,' Hermione laughed, as Draco helped her out of her bowling shoes like she was a real princess.

'You know, you should try not to breathe in right now. Bowling shoes are smelly,' she continued when he got them of her feet.

Draco pretended to go down at the smell, making Hermione laugh louder. She really did have a good time getting to know the blonde better. He smirked up at her before removing his own shoes.

'Do you want to get something to eat?' he asked as he helped her up.

Her stomach grumbled in answer, and Hermione blushed. She really was hungry. She hadn't eaten since lunch, and it was already half 8. Draco chuckled, and pulled her hand into his.

'Come on, I know just the place.'

He guided Hermione through the building, all the way to the second floor where the smell of food welcomed them. Her stomach growled again. Draco found them a place in the back, close to the kitchen, and told her to wait just for a bit. She frowned when he walked away; pushing his sleeves up to his elbows he disappeared into the kitchen. Hermione looked around if anyone had seen him, but everyone was either eating or talking.

Exactly twenty minutes later, Draco returned. Two steaming plates full of delicious smelling food balanced on his right arm, while he was carrying two glasses of red wine in his left hand.

'D-did you just cook us dinner?' Hermione asked, blinking at the sight in front of her.

Draco placed their food and drinks on the table before taking a seat opposite of her.

'Chicken breast with a creamy mushroom sauce, grilled vegetables, and baked potatoes,' he explained. 'Do you like red wine, Princess? I can get you something else if you want.'

'I, err, red wine is fine. Thank you,' she had not expected this, even though he had told her he worked in the kitchen sometimes.

When she took her first bite of the chicken, she almost moaned. It was so tender and full of flavour; the combination with the creamy sauce made it even better. Draco's eyes were glued to her face, and his lips curled up when he saw her enjoying the food.

'You're full of surprises Draco Malfoy,' Hermione said when she swallowed her second bite.

'So are you, I never know how you'll react. And if I think I do, you do the opposite,' he grinned, sipping his wine.

'For example?'

'Well, when I got to your office this morning, I thought you would appreciate my romantic offer. And then when I lost all hope because you ignored it and got all suspicious, you suddenly agreed on going on a date,' he raised his glass at that. 'Oh, you also accused me of going MIA on you for three days, while I didn't picture you for being the type of girl to wait around. You could have contacted me yourself.'

Hermione felt her cheeks heat up. He was right. But that was what he was doing to her, he caused this. He confused her, messed with her mind and body, without even knowing how much.

'You're right,' she agreed slowly.

Draco's eyes widen.

'And you do it again! I figured you would defend yourself, and lecture me.'

This made Hermione chuckle softly. He joined her, and they both sipped their wine.

'Can I be honest with you? I want to explain, but you have to promise not to interrupt or laugh at me,' she bit her lip, not daring to look at him she cut another piece of her chicken and popped it into her mouth.

As she chewed she looked up to him again. He looked serious and when he nodded, she swallowed the chicken.

'You confuse me. You scare me,' she stopped when Draco opened his mouth to interrupt. He had a frown on his face. When he saw her stern look, he took another sip of his wine instead.  
'As I said earlier, I've never felt like this before. My body, my mind, too, have never reacted like this before. It's a strange, scary, yet wonderful feeling to finally experience something like this. I'm not afraid of you Draco, I'm afraid of what I feel, of what you can do to me; not physically, but mentally. I didn't call you myself, because I was angry at myself. It probably doesn't make sense to you, but I was mad that I let myself be so vulnerable,' she toyed with the food on her plate for a bit, before continuing; 'I also didn't really know you, and I still don't. Most people are frightened of you and the Slytherins, Sirius doesn't trust you to be close to me and I just don't want to get hurt by you. I don't want to finally feel something and fall for you, only to get my heart broken. I'm not the kind of girl that falls to a hot guy's feet as soon as she gets his attention.'

Draco's stare made her feel hot and giddy, and she swallowed before meeting his gaze again. He still wasn't smirking. He wasn't mocking her or making fun of her, he just looked at her. Really looked at her. It made her nervous. Had it been a bad idea to throw her thoughts on the table?

'I get it,' he finally said. 'You have no idea how much I do, Princess.'

Hermione let out a relieved sigh. She popped a piece of carrot into her mouth and chewed slowly, thinking over what she had just said. Draco dropped his cutlery, and wiped his mouth with a napkin before speaking.

'Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Princess. I know some people are scared of us, but we're just the same as you. We feel, we hurt, and we love. You're a breath of fresh air for a man like me. You're not scared to speak your mind, but you are vulnerable too. You're smart and beautiful, and I've never wanted to be with someone so badly before in my life. I've never even felt the need to be with someone. I've always envied the kind of love my parent have. But when I look at you, and please don't let his frighten you, I finally understand what they have, what they feel for each other. I want to take care of you, protect you, hold you, cherish you. It scares me. Like you, I'm not the kind of man to fall for a woman, and forget everything else. I'm tough, a gang member, a biker, yet here I am; pouring out my deepest thoughts to you.'

'This would be a great moment to kiss,' Hermione whispered, her hand reaching out for his. 'Like I've said multiple times already; you are full of surprises. Thank you for telling me this.'

'Do you believe me now, Princess? I can't stop thinking about you, you're ruining my reputation of the tough heartbreaker,' he chuckled softly.

Hermione smiled. She _did_ believe him. They were so similar, and she knew they shared a connection. It wasn't just the alcohol on Friday night, it was really there. Today she had already suspected he wore a mask most of the time; that behind that tough guy was a very sensitive one. And now she was sure of it. He might be a bad guy, she still didn't know what he and the Slytherins did, but she had no doubt that he was also a good person.

'So, do you think we can make this work?' she asked. She wanted to give them a try, she wanted to explore these feelings, and get to know Draco even better. She'd also like to help him. He would be able to be himself with her, to grow. and explore his feelings as well.

'Absolutely.'


	8. Chapter 8: Big Bad Snake

**A/N: So sorry for the long wait guys! Life & my chronic illnes were a bitch these past few weeks.. BUT, I finally managed to finish this chapter (big big thanks to my amazing beta's!) and I really hope you like it. More Dramione next chapter, I promise :)  
Thank you for all the comments, faves and follows, it keeps making me so happy xxx**

 **Beta Love: TheLastLynx & Mandi762**

* * *

The following morning Hermione arrived at the Black Repair Shop early. It wasn't even eight yet, but she needed to talk to Sirius before she would bury herself in their finances again. Last night had been amazing. She and Draco had talked till midnight, discussing how they could make a possible relationship work. The first thing Hermione needed to do before she could commit to Draco would be talking to Sirius. She had to understand why he held such a grudge against both the Slytherins as well as Draco. She deep down hoped that he would approve of the relationship, but also knew that it was most likely far fetched. He was a good friend and confidant and she valued his opinions.

The second step would be: more dates. They needed to get to know each other, a good feeling wasn't enough for Hermione. She needed to be able to trust him if she would fully commit to him. Opening your heart is a scary thing, and she wasn't planning on letting anyone crush it if she could help it. She also wasn't about to step into a relationship blindly, she just met the man for God's sake. It was a miracle they were already talking and thinking about serious stuff like this. For years Hermione hadn't felt a thing when a man had looked at her, or touched her. And now, she felt more than she had ever imagined.

* * *

It didn't take her long to find Sirius. The raven-haired man was working on a big red motorcycle in the shop, Padfoot at his feet. The dog wagged his tail when he saw her entering, alarming his master of her presence.

'Good morning, Kitten,' Sirius greeted her.

'Morning Sirius,' Hermione bent down to scratch Padfoot behind his ear. 'How's he doing?'

He smiled and patted his dog's head. 'He will be okay. The vet told me he'll make a full recovery, so that's good.'

Padfoot had a big bandage around his midriff, and two big hairless spots on his front legs. It looked pretty serious, but the dog licked Hermione's hand, and kept wagging his tail, assuring her, he was, indeed, fine.

Hermione bit her lip, she dreaded the conversation they were about to have. For a second she was tempted to continue to chat about Padfoot, but then again she really should just get this over with.

'Sirius?'

The man looked up from his work, and raised his browns in question.

'Yes, Kitten?'

'Can I talk to you about something?'

Sirius sighed, and put down his tools. He cleaned his hands with an already filthy looking cloth, and turned around to look at her.

'I was wondering why you came in so early. Is this about the young man you left with last night?'

Hermione blinked. She didn't expect him to be quite so observant.

'Don't look so surprised, Kitten. I'm not stupid; I've known you for years, and believe it or not, but I can read you like a book. I already suspected your secret admirer was Draco Malfoy, and when I saw you on the back of his bike last night I knew I was right. I've been expecting you to come and ask questions, you wouldn't be you if you didn't,' he said, and the corners of his mouth turned upwards into a grin.

Hermione looked down at her hands before speaking.

'I just... I need some answers from you. I need to understand what you have against them, against him.'

Sirius placed his hand in her arm. 'I know, Kitten. But are you sure about this?'

Hermione nodded. 'I am. I'm finally feeling something, Sirius; I need to know.'

'Alright then, why don't you go to your office and make some coffee. I'll be there in a bit, and you can ask me anything you want. Take Padfoot with you, will you?'

She did what he'd asked, and when she placed two mugs of steaming coffee on her desk, Sirius walked in with a folder in his hands. He sat down at Regulus' desk. With a mumbled thanks he gulped down the caffeinated drink.

'Let me tell you something first; what I am about to tell you is coloured by my opinion and my experience. Anyone else might tell you these stories differently. But as much as I want you to see them the way I do, I don't expect you to.'

Hermione smiled, and gave him an encouraging nod. She was nervous about what she was about to hear, but he was right, she couldn't let herself be influenced by his point of view. After all, every story had different sides to it. Sirius cleared his throat, and opened the folder in his hands.

'When Reg and I were little, we were very close and always together. That changed when I went to High School, and our relationship grew from bitter to worse. It got so bad, in fact, that our dad couldn't take it anymore, and locked us into his garage to get us to fix our relationship,' Sirius lips tugged up into a small smile, clearly picturing that very moment in his mind. 'One of the reasons why we grew apart, was our different groups of friends. As you've probably guessed, his circle of friend were children of Slytherin members, and they were all destined to join their parents' gang as soon as they turned eighteen. Reg's behaviour had changed a lot since he had started hanging out with them, and sometimes I barely recognized my little brother. He frequently got into trouble, both at school and after. My friends and I tried everything to get him to drop the snakes, but that only pushed him away from me even more.'

He fell silent for moment.

'And then, a few years later, this happened.'

Sirius dropped some cut out newspaper articles in front of Hermione, and the headlines immediately got her attention.

 **SHOOTING BETWEEN** _ **SLYTHERIN**_ **AND** _ **THE MARAUDERS**_

 **TWO DEAD AFTER STREET FIGHT BETWEEN RIVAL BIKE GANGS**

 _ **THE MARAUDERS**_ **DEMAND JUSTICE FOR DEAD GIRLFRIEND**

'Who are The Marauders? I don't think I've heard of them,' Hermione frowned.

She looked up from the papers when Sirius didn't answer. His eyes, filled with tears, were focused on one particular picture in front of him. It was another newspaper piece; showing a photograph of a beautiful blonde girl.

'Sirius? Are you okay?'

The man in question slowly turned his head to meet her worried gaze.

'Did you know her?' Hermione asked when he still didn't say anything.

He bit his lip, and traced the lines of the girl her face with his fingers.

'She was my girlfriend,' he whispered. 'She was killed the day of the shooting. One of our own betrayed us by joining the snakes, and she was just there. At the wrong place, at the wrong time, some would say.'

Hermione felt her throat tighten, and her eyes filled up with tears.

'Oh Sirius.. I didn't know,' her voice sounded hoarse.

'Her name was Marlene. She was the most beautiful girl I've ever seen, and they killed her. I know it was an accident, but it still happened. For the longest time I blamed Regulus. I blamed him for joining the snakes, for making me and my friends feel like we had to join The Marauders. If he hadn't accepted his place in Slytherin, Marlene would still be alive,' Sirius closed his eyes, and dragged his hand through his messy black hair. 'It happened a long time ago, and me and my friends quit the gang after it happened. But in the end I realized it wasn't his fault, and he was still my brother.'

'Oh Sirius, I'm so sorry I made you tell me this,' Hermione whispered as she wiped the tears off of her cheeks.

'It's okay Kitten, you needed to know. Slytherin is far from being just an innocent gang, but I don't believe they killed Marlene on purpose, not anymore. However, they did shoot to hurt us, to injure and weaken us. We were at war, Kitten, and it was serious.'

Hermione frowned. Then why did he let them come to his shop? Why fix their bikes? She felt like she was missing something.

'I must also tell you, that this war was led by our gang leaders of the time; Tom Riddle and Albus Dumbledore. They absolutely despised each other, and it's what got them both killed in the end. Lots of the Marauders chose to leave the gang, and others, who weren't ready to leave the gang life behind, joined Slytherin, setting aside their differences. Lucius Malfoy, Draco's dad, took over from Tom and has been leading the snakes ever since,' Sirius explained.

'What about The Marauders, did they just stop to exist?' Hermione asked.

Even though she wanted to ask a million other question, she decided to take it easy on Sirius. He clearly found it hard to talk about that part of his past. His shoulders looked stiff, his eyes sad as he stared to nothing in particular and his lips weren't curled up in a smile as they usually were.

'Like I said; everyone either quit or joined our rivals, so yes I think we did,' Sirius said sadly.

His eyes met hers and slowly his lips curled upward again. It was a fake smile, but at least he looked a little more like Sirius again.

'Can I ask why you in god's name you fix their bikes? I'm sorry, but I just don't get it,' Hermione blurted out, her cheeks flushed red.

'Because I grew up,' Sirius chuckled. 'I also love my brother, and he will always be a snake. I didn't want to keep living the way I did, so I decided to put my differences aside. Things changed when Lucius took over anyways.'

Hermione looked at him for a moment. She definitely understood now why he mistrusted the Slytherins, but she still didn't get how he could live with his former enemies being around him every day. With the reminder that one of them killed his girlfriend.

'Do you still blame them?' she asked.

Sirius sighed and rubbed his face with his hands. He looked frustrated, and Hermione almost felt sorry for asking the question.

'I do. By not turning in the monster who killed Marlene, he killed three more girls before he went to prison. Lucius did banish him from Slytherin after the accident, but that accident none-the-less triggered something in him. That man was a beast, Hermione,' he said.

Hermione suddenly remembered. Fenrir Greyback. He'd killed three girls in a week, ravished them like a beast, a monster. He had mutilated them, made them almost unrecognizable for their family. A shiver went through her body; it was a good thing that man was behind bars, but it was so unfair that he was still alive. Hermione would never wish someone dead, but this man killed innocent people, he took those girls away from their loved ones, and for what? His own pleasure?

Sirius placed his hand over Hermione's.

'You okay, Kitten? Let me make you some more coffee.'

He stood up before she could answer, and Hermione just stared at her hands until her mug was placed back in front of her. She had not expected the conversation to turn out this way. It didn't change her feelings for Draco, he had nothing to do with all this, but it definitely made her think. She wouldn't be able to look at any of the older generation of members the same. She would always have the thoughts lingering, wondering, questioning, did they watch and bear witness to that beast kill an innocent girl? If so, how could they have just let him get away with it? How could they live with themselves? Poor Sirius. The things he went through... It broke Hermione's heart.

For about twenty minutes they just sat there. Thinking, drinking coffee, staring at everything but each other. Hermione's mind was spinning. She had so many more questions, but she didn't know if she wanted to ask if she wanted more answers. There was one thing nagging her, and she couldn't help but smile and spit it out anyway.

'James and Remus in a biker gang, damn.'

Sirius barked out a laugh, a real one.

'I know right, it might surprise you how much they fit in though. We formed the Marauders to protect our friends and loved ones, and for most of the time, it worked. We trained together every day to get stronger and better. We had self-defence lessons, learned how to shoot guns and the girlfriends and wives would cook us dinner every Friday night. We were a close group, different from the other bikers but also the same; we protected our own.'

Hermione said nothing, letting all the information sink in. She understood now why Draco had insisted to go to Sirius for the real story. How much did he know about this? His father was Slytherin's leader, who knows what story he told his son. She let her eyes wander to Sirius. He was looking at her with a puzzled expression.

'What is it?' she asked.

'You're taking this really well.'

'I'm still processing everything, but I do understand now why you reacted badly to seeing me with Draco.'

Sirius raised his eyebrows, then frowned.

'Let me tell you this, Sirius; I will never turn my back at you, and I won't change by dating Draco, besides maybe by being happier. I also will not turn into a snake, you have my word, and I promise I'll come to you whenever I feel like something's wrong. I'm not Regulus, and Draco is not his father or their former leader, we are our own people,' Hermione said, hoping it would ease her friend's mind.

'I'll even learn self-defence if that makes you feel better,' she added with a smile.

Sirius sighed, but the corners of his lips curled up a little.

'You'll learn to defend yourself with and without a weapon, and if Draco or any other snake bothers you or hurts you, you'll come straight to me. Promise?'

'I promise.'

Sirius stood up from his chair and pulled her out of hers to wrap his arms around her body. Hermione smiled and nestled her head against his chest, letting him hug her.

'You're like a daughter to me, Hermione; I just want you safe. You don't need my permission or acceptance to do anything, but I will do everything to protect you,' he muttered in her hair.

'I know.'

When Sirius pulled back he pressed a kiss on her forehead and shot her a smile.

'I have to get back to the shop, but if you want to talk more about this, or if you have questions, just let me know. okay?'

Hermione nodded and leaned forward to hug him once more.

'Thank you for telling me all this, Sirius.'

He patted her back and then left her alone in her office. Hermione sat down at her desk again and rubbed her temples. What a story. It took her a few minutes to focus and get back to work, but when her brain finally allowed her to dive back in she didn't stop until Draco knocked on her door with lunch.

'Time for a break, Miss Granger,' he called out as he stepped inside her office with a grin on his face.

Hermione chuckled and for once she dropped her work immediately. She was hungry and in desperate need of some food and distraction. Her conversation with Sirius had dragged all the happy and giddy feelings Draco gave her the night before out of her body, and had filled her with sadness. Draco greeted her with a kiss on her cheek, and placed a paper bag in front of her.

'I brought you some sandwiches as well, Princess. I couldn't remember if we said to bring our own food or not,' he said as he grabbed a chair for himself, and sat down next to her. 'Hey, are you okay? You look sad.'

Draco looked at her with a frown and reached out for her with his arms, pulling her in his lap. Hermione sighed and melted against him, curling around his body and letting her head lean against his.

'I talked to Sirius this morning, and it sort of sucked all the energy out of me. I expected a story filled with anger, not with sadness. Did you know about Marlene?'

Draco nodded. 'Dad told me, and some of the old Marauders still talk about her sometimes.'

'Wait, she was a member as well?' Hermione asked, lifting her head to look at him.

'No, but she was very loved. At least that's what I get out of the stories about her; apparently, she also used to bake the most delicious treats. Alastor always compares my mother's chocolate cookies to hers.'

Hermione smiled sadly and grabbed the bag of sandwiches, not sure what to say next. She offered one to Draco and pulled out the one with lettuce and chicken for herself.

'Do you feel differently about me now?' Draco suddenly asked.

Hermione lowered her sandwich and looked up at him with big eyes. She shook her head very fast and put down her food so she could grab his face in her hands.

'I don't. You might be a Slytherin, but you weren't a part of the shooting that killed her. You're not Tom Riddle or Fenrir Greyback, and I don't believe you ever could be as evil like them. You're not responsible for any of this. It's your actions that define you, Draco. And you haven't done anything to make me change my mind about you.'

'Yet,' Draco mumbled, but the corners of his lips tugged upward already.

'As long as you don't hurt people and stay honest with me, I won't,' Hermione answered.

'So you still want to go on that next date with me?'

'Definitely. Can I eat my sandwich now?'

Draco chuckled and nodded, taking a bite of his own meal.

'So, not scared of the big bad snake huh, Princess?'

Hermione grinned and made a clawing movement with her right hand.

'Nope, I'm a fierce lioness. Didn't you know?'


	9. Chapter 9: You've Kissed Neville?

**A/N: Thank you for your patience, my loves! Life's still getting in the way of writing, and on top of that I've got a bit of a writers block.. I hope you guys will like this chapter hehe, I sure enjoyed writing it (even if it took me waaaaay too long). I'm not sure when the next update will be up, but I'll try my best to write some lines every day so you won't have to wait so long. Thank you all for your kind reviews, I love you!**

 **Beta Love: TheLastLynx (You rock, girl! xx)**

* * *

Hermione had met up with her best friend in the Potter's garden to catch up. Ginny wanted to know all about her date with Draco. When Hermione told her about her conversation with Sirius the redhead's mouth dropped open.

'I can't believe you've never heard of The Marauders before, have you been living under a rock?' Ginny asked in disbelief.

Hermione frowned. Apparently, that was the case. Usually it was Hermione who was the one to know about everything that happened, and not the other way around.

'So, you also know who was a member of The Marauders?' Hermione asked carefully. She wasn't about to spill James Potter's secret, if he wished to keep it from his son and daughter in law.

'I know dad was,' Harry's voice spoke behind them.

Hermione froze. She hadn't realised her other best friend was within ear reach. Harry walked up to them, his father following close behind and the two Potters sat down next to the girls.

'It's no secret, Hermione,' James said kindly. 'My family knows of my past, and I'm actually quite proud of it as well. The Marauders weren't infamous for their bad actions like the Slytherins. We actually tried to do good, and most importantly, we protected those we loved from the snakes. Or, we tried to.'

His expression got sad, and Hermione was almost certain the man was thinking about Marlene. She wanted to say something, but Harry beat her to it.

'If it weren't for you guys, more people could have gotten hurt, Dad,' he patted his father on the shoulder with a small smile, before turning to Hermione. 'Is it true that your dating Malfoy?'

Hermione blinked, and slowly nodded

'Yes, I guess so. Why?'

She narrowed her eyes at her friend. He wasn't about to say she shouldn't, was he? Harry chuckled when he saw her expression and reached out to grab her hand.

'Don't worry, Mione. I just wanted to say: be careful. All I want is for you to be happy, and if Malfoy is part of that, then I'm okay with that.'

James nodded in agreement.

'Sirius told me about your chat. Draco is a good lad, all of the younger generation of Slytherin are raised differently than their parents. The gang changed a lot since the accident, and though they are not innocent, they aren't villains either. All I'm asking of you Hermione, is to come to any of us if he or any of the others tries to hurts you, or if you think something is wrong. We might not be The Marauders anymore, but we do still protect our own. And you are family, Hermione,' James said, looking serious.

Hermione smiled at them. The Potters really were like family, and she loved every one of them very much. She was glad they weren't lecturing her or trying to change her mind about Draco, just because he was a Slytherin. No, they were willing to give him a chance for her sake. And she really appreciated that.

'So, will you bring blondie as your date to my game on Saturday?' Ginny asked, wiggling her eyebrows.

'I, err, I don't know yet,' Hermione stuttered.

She hadn't really thought of it yet. And hadn't Luna told Theo he wasn't allowed to join them? She had said something about spending time with her friends, but maybe the blonde girl had said so because Hermione was the only one without a date to bring. She decided she would talk to Luna about it. She was sure the boys would prefer that in any case. Theo hadn't looked very happy when Luna denied him to come, and she was now almost sure it was because he wanted to be there to protect her. If she had learned anything about biker gangs, it's that they felt very protective of the ones they cared about.

'Earth to Hermione,' Ginny laughed, waving her hand in front of Hermione's face.

'Oh, sorry. What were you saying?' Hermione blushed.

Harry grinned at her. 'Mum, asked if you were staying for dinner?'

Hermione looked to her left to see Lily Potter standing in the door opening, chuckling. She was wearing an apron and some oven gloves.

'I'd love to, let me tell my parents.'

* * *

On Friday Hermione was drowning in work at the office. For some reason the pile on her desk only seemed to be growing, and the hot weather didn't help her move along quicker. Sweat dripped down her neck and Hermione groaned in annoyance. She was already wearing shorts and her tank top with the shop logo, but she still felt too hot. Sirius had already brought her several glasses of cold iced water, and Hermione was sure she'd drank two litres already, making her need to go to the loo every hour.

'Oh Princess, where are you?' Draco called from outside.

Hermione huffed.

'Inside my office, where else would I be?' she muttered and got up from her chair.

She seemed to have been glued to it and Hermione shuddered when she felt the droplets of sweat trickle down her leg. Yuck. Where was Draco anyway, he usually didn't wait to barge in. When he'd still hadn't come in a couple of minutes later, she decided to look for him outside. She could use a little break and some fresh air in any case.

As soon as she stepped outside her office she got attacked. Water was being poured onto her from two sides. A shriek left her mouth, but then she felt the cold of the water and relished the refreshing feeling. Draco and Pansy were both standing a few yards away with water guns in their hand, and big grins on their faces.

'We heard you could use some cooling down,' Draco said, pointing the water gun at her again.

The stream of water hit her right in the face. Hermione screamed in surprise, then she burst out laughing. Pansy's water stream hit her back, and Hermione let out another shriek.

'Eeeek, did you put freezing water in there,' Hermione laughed as she tried to dodge their streams.

Her top was drenched already, but Hermione welcomed the coolness against her skin.

'This is not fair you know,' Hermione shrieked when another hit of freezing water touched her neck.

As if he heard her, Sirius suddenly appeared at her side and pressed a water gun into her hand.

'Couldn't leave you defenceless now, could I? Attack, Kitten,' he grinned.

He didn't need to say it twice, and Hermione ran towards the blond Slytherin with an evil grin on her face, pointing her gun at his chest. Sirius, however, decided to join the young adults and gave Pansy a cold shower with his gun, making the girl shriek just as loud as Hermione had.

'Oh it's on, Black!' she shouted, pointing her gun at him instead of Hermione.

Go on then, Princess, show me what you've got,' Draco said, wiggling his eyebrows at Hermione as he dodged her stream of water.

Hermione laughed and attacked, managing to get his white shirt wet in only three attempts. They yelled, laughed, and ran around the front garden like children, enjoying the feeling of the cold water in the heat. It didn't take long for Hermione to be absolutely drenched, making it a little more difficult to move around as her sneakers got slippery. Draco took full advantage and kept hitting her with his water stream, grinning as she squealed.

'I will get you, Malfoy,' Hermione yelled, putting her hands in front of her face to block the stream.

She ducked forward and wrapped her arms around his waist, shoving him until he fell over. She tumbled on top of him, but quickly put her legs on both sides of his body and pointed her water gun at his face.

'Gotcha,' she grinned.

Draco had lost his gun in the fall and stared up at her with sparkling eyes. His hands moved to her hips.

'If you wanted to sit on top of me, all you had to do was ask, Princess,' he smirked, making Hermione cry out at attack his face with water.

Draco however managed to turn the two of them around and pried the gun out of Hermione's fingers, flipping it aside so she couldn't reach it. His hands grabbed her wrists and pinned them down at the ground, leaning over her so his face hovered above hers. Hermione felt her blood rush through her veins; he was so very close.

'Did you really think you could win, Princess,' Draco said, moving his face closer.

Just as she thought he was going to kiss her, they both got sprayed with freezing water. Pansy's laughter made Draco jump up and grab his gun again. He helped Hermione up, and the fight was on again. This time, Draco and Hermione, against Pansy and Sirius.

When all four of them where completely drenched and panting like they just ran the marathon, they sat down in the shadow to catch their breath.

'Well, that was fun,' Sirius grinned as he pushed his wet hair out of his face.

Hermione nodded and let herself fall back on the grass. Pansy mirrored her movement.

'Thanks guys, that was just what I needed,' Hermione said, while staring up at a heart-shaped cloud.

She always tried to see forms and shapes in the clouds, it had become a habit ever since she and Harry had spent an entire night under the stars when they were little. Sirius had been with them, and he had pointed out the constellations to them. When they'd gotten bored by that he had started this little game who could find the funniest shaped cloud. He'd come up with two clouds that looked like fighting rabbits, Harry had seen a huge duck, and Hermione had pointed out a large dog bone.

'I'm going to order some pizza, you guys want to stay for lunch?' Sirius asked both Slytherins, interrupting Hermione's thoughts

'Who says no to Pizza? I'm in if Drake is,' Pansy replied, winking at Hermione as if she did it for her.

'If it's pepperoni, I'm definitely staying. Got a pint as well, Black?' Draco asked, wiggling his blond eyebrows at Sirius.

Hermione watched the two of them with a smile. At the moment they very much seemed like friends, which made her a very happy girl. Sirius had agreed to give the young Malfoy a chance, and he was keeping his word.

'Sure, drink my beer as well,' Sirius mocked, but his lips curled up into a smile. 'You up for the usual, Kitten? Cheese and all?'

Hermione held up her thumbs, and with a nod Sirius jogged away to the workshop to order their pizzas and fetch them the beers. Draco lied down onto the grass next to her, and Hermione smiled. It felt right to lay here between Draco and Pansy. She had only just met them less than two weeks ago, but it felt like she'd known them much longer. Hermione's hand moved a bit to the right, so her fingers could touch Draco's, and he turned his head to look at her. The sun reflected in his grey eyes and Hermione was sure her heart jumped at the sight. Damn those eyes. Draco's fingers grasped hers and he moved a little closer so he could get a better grip on her hand. Hermione bit her lip and intertwined their fingers. How could something so small like this, make her feel so good? His touch felt so comfortable, it made her feel calm. She wanted nothing more than to snuggle up against his body and place her head on his chest, but they weren't alone. And even though she was almost sure Pansy wouldn't care, she didn't move. They hadn't cuddled like this before, and she had no idea how Draco would feel about it.

'God, I can just smell the sweetness coming off of you guys,' Pansy groaned. 'Seriously, Drake, get a grip man. Either kiss the woman, or stop acting like a lovesick teenager.'

Hermione chuckled.

'You're not jealous, are you Pans?' she teased, fully knowing the girl was not. Not at her anyway, if she was, it would be because she wanted to kiss someone else herself. 'How's Neville?'

Pansy stopped groaning and moved her body to the side so she could look at Hermione. Her lips had curled up into a grin and she wiggled her eyebrows.

'Oh, he's great. Maybe even the best I've ever had.'

Hermione laughed. 'He's a great kisser, that's as far as my knowledge of Neville goes and I do not need to know how he is in bed, thank you very much.'

'Oh just as good as he is at kissing, the things that man can do with his mouth,' Pansy fanned herself with her hand and grinned. 'Pheeeww'

'You've kissed Neville?' Draco asked, completely ignoring his best friend.

Hermione rolled her eyes at him, but nodded.

'We briefly dated at School, I thought I'd mentioned that already.'

'No, I don't think you have,' he frowned.

Hermione hit his chest in a playful manner, before leaning forward to kiss his cheek.

'Wipe that jealous look of your face, Malfoy. It doesn't suit you,' she teased.

Draco fisted her hair and pulled her closer to him. Hermione gasped at the feeling, but before she could say anything he pressed his mouth against hers.

'Sure, pretend I'm not here,' Pansy muttered, but Hermione barely heard her.

Draco's lip were hard against hers at first, but when she responded to him they softened immediately. She smiled against his mouth and wrapped her arms around his neck, prying his lips open with her tongue. He moaned softly when their tongues started to dance around each other, and circled his free arm around her waist to pull her closer. Hermione let him enjoy their kiss for a while, as she was very much loving the feeling as well, before she fisted his hair and roughly pulled his head back from hers.

She leaned towards him and whispered against his lips. 'Don't ever be jealous of another man, Draco Malfoy. I've made it very clear that you are the only one makes my heart beat faster. You can play the possessive card whenever there are other men to show interest in me, but don't ever try to do this again when it's just us and friends. They are no threat to you, and if Sirius would have seen you get all over me like this, he would have no problem kicking you of his property. Do keep in mind we only just started dating, I would hate for you to mess up that chance he gave you to prove yourself worthy.'

Slowly Hermione pressed a sweet kiss on his lips and released his hair. She climbed out of his lap and smirked at Pansy, who stared at her with her mouth shaped in an 'O' and sparkling eyes.

'That was hot,' the brunette said. 'You should get used to him being possessive though, it's in his nature.' She added when Hermione smiled at her.

Draco hadn't moved yet, he just sat there blinking, totally flabbergasted. The girls giggled, and Sirius chose that moment to return.

'What happened to him?' he asked, chuckling at the look on Draco's face.

'Hermione happened,' Pansy replied as she accepted the beer he offered her.

Sirius raised his eyebrows and opened his mouth to say something, but he seemed to change his mind.

'I don't think I want to know,' he muttered as he dropped into the grass next to his young friends.

Padfoot had followed his owner and was now pressing his nose into Hermione's neck, begging for attention. She grinned at the dog and scratched him behind his ear. Padfoot almost seemed to purr, and when she stopped he let himself fall to the ground and rolled on his back, showing his belly. His large tongue rolled out his mouth and he looked at the girls with big puppy eyes they couldn't resist. Hermione and Pansy both moved closer to cuddle the dog and cooed at him as if he was a child.

'Charmer,' Sirius chuckled at his dog.

'He certainly knows how to attract the ladies, but I guess that's expected from the Blacks' family dog,' Draco smirked.

Sirius barked out a laugh and took a sip of his beer.

'Why thank you Malfoy, my brother and I sure taught him well.'

Pansy turned around to look at Draco.

'You're not jealous of the dog are you, Drake?'

'Don't be ridiculous, Pans, I have way more charm than him. No offense to you Padfoot, but you have loads to learn still,' Draco replied. 'Maybe I should take him out sometimes, teach him the Malfoy way.'

'And mess up my dog? No thanks,' Sirius laughed, making Hermione and Pansy join in.

'Hey!' Draco pouted. 'I charmed my way into Hermione's life, doesn't that give me at least some credit?'

'That it does. I still don't know how you did it. She's way out of your league, mate. Guess you just got very lucky. If I were you I'd treat her like a queen, and no less than that, or else you'd might lose her just as fast as you got her,' Sirius said.

Hermione heard the silent threat behind it, and she was sure Draco did too, but he simply agreed with the raven-haired man.

'That won't be a problem. I already call her Princess, and I have every intention to treat her like that. Hermione is an extraordinary young woman, and she deserves the world. I want to give her just that, and nothing less. You don't ever have to fear I'll treat her anything but right, Sirius, you have my word. I'd protect her with my life.'

Hermione looked at the blonde man with a warm feeling in her heart. His words made her feel giddy and a tiny bit emotional. How could he be this perfect? Were his words really true? Would he love her that much in their future?

'He means it, you know. He would literally catch a bullet for you, girl. If Draco Malfoy really cares for someone, he'd die for them. And trust me when I say that he already cares a great deal for you. It's crazy actually,' Pansy smiled.

'It really is. I feel like it's all a dream, or like I'm in a cliché movie where soulmates exist,' Hermione replied, laughing nervously. 'I'm guessing normal relationships don't go like this?'

Pansy shook her head. She took a long sip of her beer before leaning a bit closer to Hermione. Both man were still chatting, but they also had moved closer to each other and talked softly.

'He's acting like you're actual royalty, I've never seen him like this. The thing is, it was kind of the same with his parents.'

'What do you mean?' Hermione frowned.

Pansy glanced at Draco.

'Lucius Malfoy was already in Slytherin when he met Narcissa Black, his father Abraxas made him join when he was eighteen,-'

'Wait a minute, did you just say Black?' Hermione interrupted.

This was new. Was Draco's mom related to Sirius? Was he Draco's uncle, maybe? The whole thing made Hermione feel weird, but when she saw Pansy's warning glare, she bit her tongue. She would ask either Draco or Sirius later.

'As I was saying,' Pansy continued. 'Lucius didn't really have a choice in joining Slytherin. Their leader, Tom Riddle, wanted all children aboard as soon as they were old enough, in fear they might turn against him. When he met Narcissa he instantly fell for her, but wasn't allowed to do anything. Something about her sister betraying the family and Slytherin. The story was bullshit, but Riddle forbid Lucius from seeing Narcissa at first. It didn't stop him of course, Draco definitely got his stubbornness from his father.'

Hermione smiled at this and let her eyes wander to where Draco sat, still chatting quietly with Sirius.

'I was told that they never saw a couple connect as fast as them, they were perfect for each other apparently, and I now see why. Lucius is a difficult man, but he never ever treated Narcissa with any disrespect. She's truly his queen. It makes sense that Draco would treat you the same, especially since you two bonded as quickly as you did. It's almost like history was repeating itself,' Pansy finished with a chuckle.

'It sounds like a story from a fairy tale. Forbidden love, Princess this, Queen that, history repeating,' Hermione said, a small smile played on her lips.

Pansy grinned. 'Oh it really does. Don't forget the magic.'

'Magic?' Hermione raised her eyebrows.

'Yeah, fairy tales with magic are the best,' Pansy laughed.

'I agree, and it kind of feels like magic as well. I mean, how else can you explain all of this? Never in a million years I'd expected to feel what I feel for Draco. I care for him as if he's been in my life for so much longer,' Hermione said as her eyes searched for Draco.

'He feels the same way about you, and it might sounds crazy, but so do I,' Pansy said, drawing Hermione's attention away from the blond.

'What, you got feelings for me too, Pans?' she teased.

Pansy rolled her eyes, and smirked at her.

'Sure, I'm head over heels for you, Princess.'

'Hey, don't you dare use my nickname for her,' Draco suddenly called out, glaring at his best friend.

Hermione could see the laughter in his eyes and Pansy stuck out her tongue to him, before both girls burst into laughter. Draco crawled over the grass to sit closer to the girls, leaving Sirius to shake his head at the younger generation in front of him.

'Not gossiping about me are you?' Draco asked.

'We wouldn't dare,' Hermione grinned.

'What's there to gossip about anyways,' Pansy added.

The girls smiled at each other and Draco narrowed his eyes, carefully watching their faces. Pansy moved closer to Hermione and rested her head on her shoulder.

'You wouldn't mind if I stole her from you, would you? Hermione and I just realised how much we care for each other already. I mean, admit it Drake, me and Hermione make a much better and more beautiful couple tha-'

Pansy got interrupted by her blond best friend who jumped up from the grass to tickle her. The brunette screamed and tried to get away, but Draco was stronger. Pansy yelled for mercy, but she could barely get the words out between her giggles. Hermione watched the two friends with a smile. Who would guess these two were in a famous bikers gang that scared most people to death? Everyone had two sides, and moments like this only proved to Hermione to never judge someone just by their looks.


	10. Chapter 10: Death Eaters

**A/N: I AM SO EXCITED FOR YOU ALL TO READ THIS CHAPTER! Sorry you had to wait almost 2 months for this, but I'm trying to juggle 3 jobs (yes im crazy) with my social life, chronic illness and hobbies.. It took some time to get used to it, but it's slowly getting better. I hope this chapter was worth the wait hehe I SURE LOVE IT! Gosh I can't wait to hear your thoughts, sooooo enjoy! :)**

 **Beta love: BIG BIG shout out to my wonderful beta TheLastLynx & my lovely alpha mandi762.  
Extra credit to TheLastLynx, cause without her this chapter would be a mess.**

* * *

It was the day of Ginny's game and Hermione decided to wear the football jersey her best friend had given her a while ago. She knew Ginny would appreciate the support. The shirt was a shade of dark green, and had the logo of the football club on the left side of the chest. Because it was still quite hot outside, Hermione slipped into her jeans shorts, and put on her converse trainers. After quickly braiding her hair, and brushing her teeth, she went downstairs for breakfast.

'Good morning, sweety,' her mother greeted her from the stove.

"Morning, mum! That smells delicious. Is it what I think you're making?" she asked as she strode to look into the frying pan.

"What do you think?"

"Chocolate chip pancakes!" Glancing into the pan, she wrapped her mum in a hug, "You're the best!" She placed a kiss on her cheek, and turned to greet her dad. "Morning, dad!"

Richard was reading the morning paper with a mug of coffee in hand. He looked up when his daughter approached him and smiled at her.

'Look at you, wearing sportswear,' he teased when she kissed his cheek as well.

Hermione rolled her eyes, and sat down across of him, grabbing the business section of the paper which her father had already read. After a few minutes, Helen placed a plate full of pancakes on the table, and the Granger family enjoyed a peaceful breakfast together. All three of them read a section of the paper while chewing on their pancakes, and switched sections when they were done. For as long as Hermione remembered, breakfasts had always quiet, the Grangers just like to give their brain time to wake up before they got chatty. Cause they did. Once their plates and mugs of tea were empty, they put the paper away and talked about their plans for today.

* * *

At half nine Hermione went over to the Potters' to pick up Harry. They would go together as Ginny was already at the club for her warm-up. Luna and Neville would meet them there as well, as would Theo, Draco, and Pansy. The Slytherins had happily accepted the invitation to join them, even after Luna told her boyfriend he could not cheer for the opposite team; apparently, Theo was no fan of The Harpies, Ginny's club. Hermione felt excited about seeing Draco again. Yesterday had been amazing, and she looked forward to spending some more time with him.

'I heard you had a good time at work yesterday,' Harry grinned as soon as they got into his car.

Hermione chuckled. 'Sirius?'

When her friend shook his head she frowned; who else could have told him?

'Neville; he came over last night. Pansy told him, just as she said he should avoid Draco today. Any chance you might explain?' Harry asked, his eyes shining with mischief.

He knew very well why, and she was aware that he enjoyed seeing her squirm under his teasing glance.

'Oh, shut it, Potter. You know Neville and I are just friends; Draco just got a little jealous,' Hermione said, keeping her eyes on the road.

Harry had accepted her offer to drive his car for once, and it was a great excuse for avoiding his inquiring look.

'Yeah he looks like the possessive type, just like Theo. I guess it's a Slytherin thing,' Harry nodded.

Hermione raised her eyebrows and eyed him for as long as traffic allowed her to.

'You sometimes act like that, as well; as does Ron, and don't get me started on your dad. If we're out with your family, and someone looks at Lily even longer than for two seconds, he gets all over her. Theo's definitely not the only guy that's protective of his girlfriend. Some got it more than others though.'

Harry laughed softly. 'Fine, you're right. But you have to admit that Theo's a bit over the top.'

'He is; but it's none of our business. If it bothers Luna, she'll tell him off ,' Hermione replied.

They smiled at each other, and dropped the subject as they arrived at the stadium where Ginny would play that day. Hermione parked the car as close to the entrance as she could. She had already spotted Draco and the others, and with a smile on her face she dragged Harry over to where they were standing.

Draco was leaning against his motorcycle, looking all hot and sexy. It was just unfair how good he looked in his leather jacket, really. His blond hair was messy, probably from wearing a helmet. Hermione had to contain herself from jumping him. When he spotted her, a beautiful smile graced his face, and he pushed himself from his motorcycle towards her. Pansy spotted her next and the brunette happily waved at her, which made Neville notice her as well. The latter immediately wrapper her in a hug, and over his shoulder Hermione saw Draco frown. She laughed quietly and patted Neville's back.

'It's good to see you, Nev,' she smiled.

Pansy pushed Neville aside to hug her, and Hermione smiled at her eagerness. The brunette pressed a sloppy kiss to her cheek and shot her a wink. Draco was finally next. Hermione bit her lip as she looked up at him. He immediately lifted his hand to pry her lip from her teeth. His own lips curled into a smirk as he wrapped his arm around her waist to pull her against him. His body was fully pressed against hers now, and Hermione gasped at the feeling. Before she could say anything, Draco had already leaned forward to claim her lips in a kiss.

She shivered at the feeling and grasped his t-shirt with her fingers. He kissed her with so much passion, that she thought she would melt into a puddle at his feet. His touch made her skin feel like it was on fire. All she wanted was more. More kisses, more touches, more fire; she wanted it all. She wanted him.

'Get a room,' Hermione heard Pansy chuckle from behind her.

With red cheeks, she pulled back from Draco and hid her face against his chest, not wanting to look at her friends. She couldn't believe she had let Draco kiss her like that in front of Harry and Neville.

'No need to feel embarrassed, Princess,' Draco grinned as he softly pushed her away from his chest so he could look at her.

His grey blue eyes gazed into hers, and he tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. Hermione cleared her throat and straightened her shoulders, refusing to react like the lovesick teenager she felt like. She turned towards her friends, and ignored the wide eyes and smiles they were all giving her.

'Shall we find our seats?' she asked no one in particular.

Before they could answer she grasped Draco's hand and started to walk towards the ticket stand. Pansy jogged after them and linker their arms.

'You should have seen the look on Harry's face. Priceless,' the brunette laughed.

Hermione felt her cheeks burn up again. She'd probably mortified her best friend by snogging Draco like that. The embarrassment she felt was soon pushed away when she remembered Harry and Ginny snogging everywhere they could when they first started dating, and the two lovebirds still liked to show the world how much they loved each other. Well.. Ginny loved it, and Harry just went along with his girlfriend.

The security guards at the entrance narrowed their eyes at the sight of the Slytherins walking among Ginny's support group. Draco just smiled lazily at them as he slipped his hand in Hermione's, Pansy batted her eyelashes at the man as she found her spot beside Neville, and Theo wrapped his arm around Luna and kissed her temple. Hermione almost rolled her eyes at the statement they were making. _We belong with them, don't you dare send us way._ The men let them through and the group continued their way to stands.

Hermione was well aware of the stares of everyone around them, but she didn't care. She actually felt safe between the Slytherins.

'Do you want some popcorn or cotton candy?' Draco asked as they passed a few food trucks.

'I want some,' Luna said, and immediately Theo smiled at her and lead her to the truck that sold cotton candy.

'I'll get some popcorn for Ron, he'd kill me if I didn't get him any food' Harry said, and he, too, quickly made his way over to one of the food trucks.

Ron and Daphne would also join the group, but as Daphne had to go see her sister's ballet performance first, the two had told them not to wait for them. They would be here just in time and Hermione had a feeling Ron had made sure there would be food ready for him when he arrived. How typical. She was surprised though that the redhead had agreed to go the a ballet show, but as she thought about it, it was probably Daphne who had either convinced him, or forced him to come with her. Hermione smiled. Daphne really was perfect for Ron. He needed someone to push him, and not be afraid to speak their mind.

'Princess?' Draco interrupted her thoughts.

'I would love some salted popcorn please,' she replied as she had already smelled the snack back at the entrance.

Draco pulled a face. 'How can you eat that? Sweet is the way to go!'

Hermione raised her eyebrows at him. 'You asked me what I wanted, right? I prefer salt over sweet; if you don't want to share, just get both.'

The blonde narrowed his eyes at her but still nodded and walked away. Pansy chuckled beside her and linked their arms again.

'You're so perfect for him. You can be so bossy; I love it.'

Now it was Neville's turn to laugh; he had stayed behind with the girls.

'You think that was bossy Hermione? Oh boy, you Slytherins are in for a treat when she really gets to it.'

Hermione stuck out her tongue at her friend. She knew she could be bossy, and even though she wasn't particularly proud of it, she wasn't about to let people walk over her or make decisions for her; she was her own woman, thank you very much. She was no damsel in distress either, and she had a feeling Draco was already figuring that out. Which was good. He should know what type of woman she was. Yes, he could be possessive, Pansy had already warned her about that, but she wouldn't allow him to reprimand her for her choices. A part of her liked that he wanted everyone to know she was his; she also felt cared for, and she did feel exceptionally safe when she was with him. But she also knew that she would get frustrated if he acted as though he didn't trust her and continued to treat her as a possession.

These were all challenges. But they would figure them out together, she was sure of it. So, right now, she didn't worry too much.

'Shit,' Pansy suddenly muttered beside her.

Before Hermione could ask what was wrong she noticed three large guys walking towards them. All three of them wore tight black shirts, showing of their big arm muscles and tattoos. She immediately noticed they had the same skull on their left arm and shivered. She remembered Sirius had told her about the only thing the Marauders and The Slytherins had in common; they both hated the third biker gang. The Death Eaters.

The Death Eaters were mostly old member of Slytherin who got kicked out or weren't allowed back in after they served time in prison. Hadn't Sirius told her they were the worst criminals out there right now? And hadn't he also said she didn't have to worry, cause they've been quiet for a few years now?

This was bad.

'Get Draco,' Pansy hissed at Neville.

'If you think I'm leaving you alone right now, you're out of your mind,' Neville argued immediately.

Pansy glared at him and tightened her grip on Hermione's arm.

'Please Nev, go get Drake. They won't do anything in public'

Hermione could see the doubt in her friends eyes, but when his gaze fell on the gang members again he nodded and disappeared into the crowd.

'Keep your mouth shut, okay,' Pansy managed to whisper to Hermione just before the largest of the three stopped in front of them.

The man had a dangerous glint in his golden eyes, it made him strangely attractive. His hair was tied back in a low ponytail and when Hermione looked closer she could see the skin around his neck was marked with scars.

'Well, well.. If that isn't Parkinson's little girl,' the man said in a deep voice.

'Greyback,' Pansy snarled.

Hermione frowned. There seemed to be some history here, and she had an inkling it wasn't to their advantage. The two other man looked just as dangerous as the one Pansy referred to as Greyback, and Hermione suddenly wished she had gone with Draco. One of the man was covered in scars, and the other had a malicious grin, and his tongue kept flicking out of his mouth like a snake.

'Who's the pretty lady, Parkinson? She looks way too innocent to be one of the snakes, is she your new plaything?' The latter asked and licked his lips again.

Hermione glared at him and was about to speak up, when Pansy squeezed her arm in warning.

'It's none of your business Crouch, why don't you run back to your lap dog Rabastan and leave us alone, yeah?' the brunette smirked, but Hermione could feel how tense she was.

What the hell was she doing? And what was taking Neville so long? Hermione was glad they were in public, but as she looked around everyone walked by quickly, not daring to interfere.

The creepy man named Crouch took a step forward and growled at Pansy with a murderous look in his eyes. Greyback, who was obviously the leader of the three, grasped his arm and shook his head, which made him take a step back.

'Watch your mouth, little Parkinson. Given the unfinished business we have with your father and his friends, we wouldn't want anything to happen to you and your beautiful friend, now would we?' he asked calmly, with an evil grin spreading over his face.

'Greyback!' someone suddenly snarled.

Within seconds, she and Pansy were pushed behind Draco, Theo, and Blaise. Where Blaise came from, she didn't know, but she was happy he was here nonetheless. Daphne had also arrived, but she stayed next to the girls, fiercely glowering at the men. Her blonde hair was in boxer braids, and she wore her Slytherin jacket; both made her look like an absolute badass. Hermione turned her head around to look for the rest of her friends. She spotted them a few meter back, watching. The Slytherins probably had told them to stay out of it. Harry seemed nervous, he wrung his hands and clearly didn't know how to act. Ron looked shocked, his face pale and his mouth agape. Neville looked angry, his brows were furrowed, and his hands were balled into fists.

'Ah, baby Malfoy. How wonderful to meet you here,' Greyback said cheerfully.

'What are you doing here?' Draco demanded.

The blond clenched his jaw as he glared at the man before him with so much hatred, it made Hermione wonder if Draco's family had a history with the man as well. She wouldn't be surprised if they did.

Damned gangs...

Greyback raised his eyebrows and held up his hands as if he was about to surrender himself.

'Calm down, little Malfoy. Am I not allowed to be here? This is an open event for sports fan We're just here to enjoy a good game of football. Aren't we, lads?' he said, smirking at the man behind him.

Crouch grinned and nodded with so much enthusiasm he actually looked like a madman. She also noticed the man was rather scraggy. Although his arms were muscled, the rest of his body was abnormally skinny. The third man had been quiet all along. His black hair was cropped short, which allowed us to follow the scars disfiguring his face. It looked like he had been attacked by some sort of animal, and Hermione almost felt sorry for him. Suddenly his dark eyes fixed upon Hermione as if he felt her stare and she quickly looked away.

'Aren't you going to introduce us to your new pet, Malfoy? How rude...' Greyback continued, an evil smirk still plastered on his face.

Hermione saw Draco ball his hands into fists, and he growled like an animal. Was this what Sirius had been afraid of? What he had warned her of? Was she now a target for this criminal gang because of her involvement with Draco? She hadn't been scared before, now her throat painfully tightened as she felt fear spread through her body. This was bad.

'You stay away from her, do you hear me?' Draco snarled, and he took a step forward.

Theo and Blaise followed his lead, probably to show the man they would back their friend if they tried anything at all.

'Or what?' Greyback laughed. 'You and your pathetic little gang members will come after us? You'll kill us? Please.. You Slytherin's aren't going to do anything against us, little Malfoy.'

Crouch chuckled beside him, and even the silent man showed us a little smile.

'You better run to your father, laddie, and don't forget to tell him to watch his back. We're back, and we haven't forgotten,' Greyback continued with a dark look on his face. 'Today we'll leave you be, but the next time you better have more for us than your big mouths and empty threats. You're not worthy of being a gang member, little Malfoy, and you better remember it.'

The three man slowly started walking backwards.

'Until next time, lady snakes,' Crouch said with a wink at Pansy and Daphne, his eyes lingering a bit on Hermione.

She cringed at his stare, but refused to look away. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction. As soon as the three man disappeared out of sight she rushed forward to Draco. The blonde was fuming and still staring at the spot where the Death Eaters had just stood. When Hermione touched his arm and let her hand slide down to intertwine their fingers, he relaxed considerately. His hard gaze met hers, but his grey eyes softened when she shot him a little smile.

'Are you okay?' they asked each other simultaneously.

They both chuckled. But Draco's face grew serious again quickly, and his free hand cupped her cheek tenderly.

'You _are_ okay, right? They haven't touched you or threatened you before we arrived, have they?' he asked.

'I'm fine, they only asked who I was. Pansy didn't give them anything other than snarky remarks. I'm okay,' she reassured him.

He pulled her into his arms and buried his nose in her fuzzy hair.

'Good,' he whispered.

They stood there for a while, catching their breaths and thinking about what just had happened. Draco's strong arms around her made Hermione feel safe again. She desperately hoped she'd never see Greyback or his men ever again. At least not when she was alone. Maybe she should take Sirius and James up on their offer to learn how to defend herself, just in case.

When she finally felt the tension leave Draco's body she removed his arms from around her waist and grabbed his hand again. She wanted to get back to her friends. When she turned she could see they were all huddled together. Theo had his arms around Luna, and glared at every single guy who looked at her, while the blonde girl just smiled dreamily at her boyfriend. Neville was holding Pansy close, and they were talking softly. Her friend had lost the angry look on his face, but instead he looked worried. Ron and Daphne were talking with Harry, the latter kept glancing around nervously. Daphne was leaning against Ron calmly, and she was actually the only one who didn't look affected by what just had happened.

'Where did Blaise go?' Hermione wondered out loud as she couldn't spot the last Slytherin.

'He's probably trying to find out if there are any other Death Eaters around, and I bet he's already called father as well. He'll join us again when the game starts, I'm sure,' Draco replied, tensing up again.

Hermione frowned but didn't say anything, and looked down at her watch. They only had fifteen minutes left before the game started. She tugged Draco towards her friends, but he made her stop.

'What's wrong?' she asked immediately, wondering if he saw Greyback again.

Crap. She wasn't about to get paranoid now, was she? As if Draco read her mind, he pulled her closer to his body again.

'I won't let anything happen to you,' he promised.

Hermione slowly nodded and allowed Draco to lean in to seal his promise with a kiss. His soft lips made her worries disappear almost immediately, and she wished they could just make out all day. Wouldn't that be wonderful?

'Come, we should get to our seats,' Hermione said as she leant back slightly against her will; being responsible was such a drab sometimes. 'Or we'll miss Ginny play.'

Draco sighed, but nodded. He probably wasn't feeling the spirit of the game anymore either. It wouldn't be fair to Ginny though, as she had no idea what had just happened. So Hermione plastered a smile on her face and lead Draco over to her friends.

They had a game to watch, and a friend to support.


	11. Chapter 11: Jealous of a cat

**A/N: I can't believe it's been almost a year.. Time flies by so fast when you're a busy adult. I'm so sorry for the wait you lovely readers, I really appreciate all of you reading, reviewing and following this story.  
I'll make you a promise; even though I might take my time uploading, I will NEVER give up on my baby It's Like Magic. Pinky swear! **

**Big love to my awesome beta xTheLastLynx, who sticks by my side no matter what, LOVE YOU.**

 **Enjoy this chapter lovelies, see you next time! xx**

* * *

Ginny's team won the game. All the Slytherins attending had been stiff and alert the entire time, but when the group left their seats without any trouble and no signs of Death Eaters, they started to relax. Hermione hooked her arms through both Luna's and Pansy's, earning a smile from the latter.

'I never thought I would enjoy watching women's football,' Pansy said as they walked ahead of the boys and towards the locker rooms where they were supposed to meet Ginny.

'Personally, I think playing football makes woman look hot, and the team spirit is just as good if not better than with men,' Luna grinned.

Pansy laughed and poked her head around Hermione to look at the blonde girl.

'I did miss the eye candy a little bit, but I absolutely agree with you. Ginny looked very fierce today, did you notice?'

'Hey! Don't you dare start hitting on my girlfriend,' Harry called from behind them.

Pansy chuckled. 'I'll do whatever I want, Potter,' she threw back over her shoulder, 'but don't worry, I promise I won't steal her away from you.'

Neville halted and turned around with a frown on his face.

'How are you guys handling this so well?' he asked no one in particular. 'This Greyback person is supposed to be in prison for murder. What if he and these other creeps start hunting you or us down for revenge?'

Everyone went quiet at his words and immediately the merry atmosphere changed. Hermione looked at her friend, his hands toyed with the hem of his shirt nervously and he kept scanning his surroundings. She couldn't really blame him. The entire game she had to force herself to smile, to forget what had just happened, so she could support Ginny and enjoy a day out with her friends.

'He won't do anything in public and Blaise already contacted my father; we're having a meeting about this tonight. Just... try not to travel alone until we come up with a solution for this problem,' Draco said.

He moved closer to Hermione and grasped her hand in his. She knew he was trying to ease their anxiousness, but it wasn't really working for the non-Slytherins. Pansy and Daphne seemed more angry then scared, but Harry, Ron and Neville had this look in their eyes that told her they were worried and nervous. Luna however looked quite calm.

'I'm sorry we dragged you into this war between us. If we would have known, we'd been more careful,' Theo added as he pulled Luna against him.

The girl wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned against him to kiss his cheek.

'You couldn't have known, love. I think, I speak for all of us when I say that we don't blame you,' she said.

Ron was the only one ready to disagree, but before he could open his mouth Daphne was right there beside him, intertwining their fingers. He mumbled something under his breath, but didn't say anything else. Harry sighed and ran his fingers through his messy black hair, something he used to do when he was nervous about something.

'Just let us know what you dad says, alright?' he said to Draco. 'I'm going to find my girlfriend and try to forget what just happened. I would appreciate if you won't mention anything to her until at least after the celebration.'

Everyone nodded and Harry disappeared towards the locker rooms. Lost in thought they waited for the couple to return. Hermione leaned against Draco and watched her friends. Daphne and Ron went to get drinks with Blaise, and Pansy had made herself comfortable on a wooden bench with Neville beside her; they were talking in hushed voices. Luna and Theo stood a couple feet away, holding hands and smiling at each other. They were unbearably cute.

'Are you okay?' Draco whispered into her ear after a few minutes.

Hermione nodded and turned around in his arms to look at him.

'Are you worried?' she asked.

A muscle in his jaw clenched and he nodded slowly. Hermione appreciated his honesty, but a part of her wished he would have lied to her.

'Fenrir is a dangerous man, Princess. I would be a fool if I said he and his little group of Death Eaters didn't worry me. You, however, should try not to worry too much, we will keep you safe, I promise,' he dropped a kiss on top of her head and pulled her a little closer to him.

Hermione sighed. Easier said than done.

* * *

When Hermione awoke the next morning, her head was pounding. She blamed it on the alcohol Ginny had basically poured down her throat at the victory party last night. After the Slytherins had left for their meeting regarding the Greyback issue, she and Harry had dragged her and Luna along to Ginny's to meet up with some of her teammates. At first, Hermione had planned to leave after one drink, but as the night carried on her friend kept slipping her drinks, and Harry kept making everyone snacks, begging her to stay and help them eat up.

Slowly, Hermione slipped out of bed and forced her legs to move towards the shower. The hot water made her feel a little better, and after a couple of painkillers and a cup of tea she felt as good as new. Her parents left a note saying they went to visit Hermione's aunt today and wouldn't be back until later that night, so it was up to Hermione to make herself breakfast.

'Cereal, cereal, where are you?' she mumbled as she went through the cupboard in search for food.

Just as she saw a box of coco pops, someone knocked at the door. Hermione quickly grabbed the packet and brought it with her to the door. For a moment she hesitated. She expected no one, and after yesterday she felt a tad paranoid to just open the door. Shaking her head, Hermione pushed away her mistrust; if she started second-guessing everything she was doing, she would allow those bastards to control her life. It could just as well be Harry, wanting to check in on her.

After taking a deep breath, Hermione slowly opened the door.

A smiling Draco Malfoy stood in front of her.

She let out a relieved sigh.

'Hi there, handsome,' she said before quickly pulling him inside and closing the door.

Draco raised his eyebrows at her greeting but before he could say anything about it she leaned forward to kiss him.

'Good morning, Princess,' he breathed against her lips.

Melting into his touch, Hermione relaxed. He smelled good today, like sandalwood and polished leather and a hint of something else she couldn't quite place.

'Is there any particular reason why there's a box of cereal between us?' Draco asked with an amused glint in his eyes.

'Oh, er, no not really. I was looking for food when you rang the bell,' she laughed and to prove her words, her stomach rumbled.

After another kiss Hermione lead Draco into the kitchen and began preparing her breakfast as he sat down at the table.

'So what are you doing here?' Hermione asked as she grabbed a bottle of milk out of the fridge.

Draco watched her pour it over her cornflakes before speaking.

'I actually wanted to ask you something, but I'm not sure if you're up for it,' he said, biting his lip as he followed to spoon to her mouth with his eyes.

Hermione blushed under his stare and quickly chewed on her bite of coco pops. When he hadn't continued when she swallowed, she noticed he looked nervous. Why was he nervous? Was it something about yesterday? About the meeting he had with the Slytherins?

'What is it?' she asked, putting her spoon down.

Draco moved around the table and took a seat next to her.

'Will you join me for dinner with my parents tonight?'

'You want me to meet your parents?'

Hermione had not expected him to ask her this so soon. It felt like a big deal for their relationship, and even though he called her his, she still told everyone they were just going out. Even though she felt as if she had known him for a lot longer than two weeks, she didn't want to go too fast. Draco probably saw the look on her face as her being scared cause he put her hand in his and squeezed it comfortingly.

'It's not a big deal, princess. They know we're still taking things slow, but since I'm not planning to let you go any time soon and we got this Death Eater threat hanging above our heads, they wanted to meet you. Mother especially is very excited to get to know the girl who captured my attention, and Father is curious to see if you're as feisty as when he first meet you,' he said with an enigmatic smile.

Hermione felt the blood rush to her cheeks. She had almost forgotten she had basically met his father already, although you couldn't really count it as a real introduction. She remembered the man with long blond hair now; he had smirked at her before ordering Draco to come with.

'I, uh-' Hermione started, not sure what to say.

'It's totally fine if you're not up for it, Princess. I'll understand,' Draco said.

Hermione shook her head.

'No, it's not that. I want to come with you, I just… I like you Draco.'

He opened his mouth to reply but Hermione stopped him by placing her hand against his lips.

'No, let me finish. I told you before that I was scared, and I still am, but I'm also excited. I love the way I feel when I'm around you, I can be myself with you, and you make me feel safe even when the biggest criminal in town is on the loose. It's just that I don't want to go too fast, and I want you to realise that.'

'Relax, I'm not asking you to marry me. Not yet anyway.' Hermione shot him a look and he held up his hands in defence.

'I'm kidding. I hear you, princess. As long as you know your mine, I'm fine with no labels and taking it slow.'

She nodded and smiled as he continued.

'One of the main reasons why I want you to meet my parents, and after that most of the Slytherins as well, is because I think it will keep you safe. I want them to know you, and I want you to see them for who they are. Of course meeting my parents, is a little more important to me for obvious reasons, but I want you to not stress it. I want you to feel comfortable.'

'This means a lot to me, Draco. Thank you.'

'Anything for you, Princess. Now eat your cereal so we can move along.'

'You want to go now?'

'Yeah, I thought we could get some coffee on the way and I want to show you around the manor before you meet my parents. We got some ground to cover, so we might as well start early.'

'The manor? You don't live in castle, do you?' Hermione joked.

Draco chuckled and shook his head.

'Not really, although you might feel like it. We have a lot of room and

Hermione's eyes widened at his words.

'Your cat Dobby must love that, I know Crookshanks would.'

As if the orange cat knew they were talking about him, he prowled into the kitchen and jumped on top of the table to meow at Hermione. She grinned at the creature and scratched his ear. He purred and dropped on his back, presenting his tummy.

'That thing is your cat?' Draco gaped at the orange furball in front of him. Where's his nose?'

Hermione scowled at him

'Crooks is beautiful! Besides, what are you talking about? He has a nose, it's just a little different because of his breed.'

'Alright, I'm sorry for insulting him, Princess. I didn't mean to,' Draco smirked.

'I'm sure you didn't,' Hermione huffed at him, still lovingly stroking her pet.

She knew he wouldn't win the price for most gorgeous cat, but to her he was perfect. As if he could read her mind, Crookshanks let out a soft purr and pressed his head against her hand. She smiled down at him and picked him up to cradle him against her chest. Draco watched them with amusement, but didn't say anything else until she started pressing kisses all over Crooks head.

'Okay you can stop that now, before I get jealous of a cat,' he said, extending his arms to grab the orange cat.

Hermione laughed when Crooks hissed at him and jumped out of her arms himself. The look on Draco's face made her laugh even harder, and while she was still giggling she grabbed the colour of Draco's shirt and pulled him towards her. Her lips touched his before he could even react and his hands found her hips in an instant. She smiled against his mouth and moved her fingers across his neck and into his blonde hair, making him shiver slightly. When she softly bit down on his lower lip he let out a low moan and pressed his pelvis against hers, aching for more contact.

'What was that for?' he panted when they disconnected their lips to catch their breath.

'You looked like you needed a little bit of TLC yourself,' Hermione grinned up at him.

'Oh, I certainly didn't mind,' Draco replied, his fingers sneaking under the hem of her jumper.

She gasped and grabbed his hands before they could go up further.

'Your hands are cold,' she squeaked, only partly lying.

His fingers were indeed cold, probably from the ride to her house. But she knew if she let him touch her like that, they would never leave her house, and he just asked her to meet his parents. She would gladly make out all day, if it wasn't for that.

'Let me get ready for your parents, okay?' she said, backing up slowly.

Draco watched her walk away with curious eyes, but she just smiled at him and jogged up the stairs. First she looked at herself in the mirror and decided that her outfit had to change. Hermione switched her leggings for a black skinny jeans and her oversized jumper for a dark green blouse. She hesitated between a denim or a leather jacket, but decided to go with the leather. She was dating a gang member, so she would dress the part. She kept her makeup light, and added only her silver watch and some earrings for jewelry.

As she turned in front of the mirror, she thought of the manor and the impressive grounds Draco had told her about. She suddenly wondered if his parents would expect her to wear a dress. For some reason she expected his mother to be absolutely perfect. She just knew the woman had to be beautiful, and she probably dressed like a real lady too. What if she was underdressed? What if they'd disapprove of her looking like she was part of the gang. Should she change into the denim jacket?

'Draco?' Hermione called downstairs.

'Yes? Are you ready yet?'

Hermione bit her lip before replying.

'How should I dress?'

She could hear his footsteps on the stairs and her eyes widened. It took Draco only seconds to walk into her bedroom and when he saw her, his eyes did a quick take of her clothes before they settled on her anxious looking face. Hermione felt absolutely stupid, she had never really cared about clothes, or what other people thought of her.

'You look amazing, Princess. Wear those boots, and you're all ready to go,' Draco said, pointing at her black Dr. Martens.

'So I'm not underdressed? Are you sure? Cause I only get to meet your parents once.'

Draco chuckled and bent down to pick up her shoes.

'I think it's cute you want to make a good impression, Princess. I knew you liked me enough to-' he stopped talking when Hermione glared at him.

You will fit right in, I promise.' He said, handing her the boots.

Hermione quickly finished getting ready before writing a note to her parents, in case they came home earlier, and followed Draco outside. He handed her a helmet and got on his bike with an easy movement. Hermione placed herself behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist.


End file.
